This is an interesting issue. First of, it is the most transportable
fruit we can imagine. The simple act of drying allows it to be
carried on land and at sea. This likely even preserves pollination
insect larvae. Thus our conjecture regarding the global Atlantean
world pretty well demands such a global distribution. Plenty of
other crops also made the Bronze Age trip although with spotty
results.
That a wide range of separate varieties gives a year round harvest
certainly drove any general effort to move the horticulture.
We have really just begun to explore this fruit or even make full use
of it.
Is the Humble Fig
More Than Just a Fruit?
May 2, 2013 — Figs
and fig trees are familiar to a wide cross-section of human society,
both as a common food and for their spiritual importance. What is
less well understood is the global nature of this association between
figs and humans, which is maintained across species, continents and
societies. This relationship is explored by David Wilson of Ecology
and Heritage Partners and Anna Wilson from the University of
Melbourne in Australia in a paper published in the Springer
journal Human Ecology. Using examples from around the world, the
authors show that figs are a vital resource for humans, no matter
which species are present in a region.
It is well known that
figs are a recurring theme in religion: it is the first fruit tree
mentioned in the Bible, and some traditions believe that it was the
forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. It was the tree under which
Buddha received enlightenment. Figs can also have powerful impacts on
everyday life, both in a positive or negative fashion. For instance,
Kikuyu women in Africa smear themselves with the sap of fig trees to
ensure pregnancy.. In Bolivia, soul-stealing spirits dwell in the
canopy of figs and walking under, or felling, these trees can cause
illness. In Papua New Guinea, figs are believed to be the haunt of
evil spirits which would be released if they are felled.
Aside from their
spiritual connections, figs provide a range of material uses, and the
authors explore examples of these from around the world. The fig is
an important food source for both humans and animals, in both fresh
and dried form. Different species of fig bear fruit at different
times, so in areas where there are a large variety of fig species,
fruit can be available all year round. In addition to human uses,
shoots and leaves of fig trees are used for animal fodder, which can
sustain livestock through otherwise lean periods.
In addition to being a
food source, the bark and roots from fig trees are used for
manufacturing items such as barkcloth, handicrafts, shields and
buildings. The authors provide examples of barkcloth manufacture from
Mexico, Uganda and Sulawesi. Despite the different fig species
involved, the same method for making barkcloth has evolved three
times -- a remarkable demonstration of cultural convergent evolution.
Figs are also a source of traditional medicine with sap being used to
treat a variety of illnesses from intestinal upsets to heart problems
and malaria. While the treatments vary between areas, the modes of
preparation and administration are highly conserved.
Figs and fig trees
have a seemingly inexhaustible list of qualities and uses. Despite
populations being continents apart, there are consistent similarities
in the ways in which the fig and its tree are valued. The authors
hope to emphasize the global nature of this relationship. They also
provide hints that figs may benefit from humans by providing two
examples where figs have used humans as a dispersal agent. Ficus
religiosa in south-east Asia is spread by Buddhists and all fig
species in Fundong, Cameroon, have been introduced from
elsewhere. Given the examples the authors provide, further work is
likely to further uncover just how close the connection is between
humans and figs.
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