Abstract
Origin and Domestication of Cole Crops (Brassica oleraceaL.): Linguistic and Literary Considerations. Various attempts have been made to locate the area of domestication of Brassica oleracea crops (i.e., cole crops). Contrasting hypotheses suggest either a North Atlantic or a Mediterranean origin. In the absence of archaeological proof, linguistic and literary considerations can offer some insight into this issue. Expressions indicating a deep-rooted knowledge and use of these crops are present in early works of ancient Greek and Latin literature, while no trace of cole crops has been found in documents from ancient Egyptian or other Fertile Crescent civilizations. Most cole crop terminology used in modern European languages can etymologically be traced to ancient Latin or Greek roots, particularly those terms indicating the most obvious morphological feature of the primitive domesticated forms, i.e., the solid upright stem (kaulos, caulis). Celtic tradition is not documented earlier than the Christian era, other than in stone inscriptions, and there is no clear evidence of a “cole tradition” among the Celts. This paper gathers information from the linguistic, literary, and historical points of view that are compatible with the domestication of B. oleracea in the ancient Greek-speaking area of Central and East Mediterranean.
Highlights
Cole crops as diverse as leafy kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are all of the same species, Brassica oleracea L., which is native to Europe
Seeds of plants that could be used as leafy vegetables (Chenopodium, Polygonum, Rumex, Atriplex, Malva and crucifers like Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. among others) were documented in Neolithic sites of the Fertile Crescent, dated between the ninth and sixth millennia B.C.E. (French 1972; Helbaek 1964, 1970; Zeist 1970, 1972)
Fruit cultivation is documented in the early fourth millennium B.C.E. with the presence of olive, fig, grape, pomegranate, and date palm in the Palestinian area (Zohary and Hopf 2000)
Summary
Cole crops as diverse as leafy kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are all of the same species, Brassica oleracea L., which is native to Europe. The general hypothesis is that ancient people were attracted by the fleshy leaves and tender shoots of wild Brassica species These were introduced into home gardens or grown near the dwellings where less pungent and more luxuriant plants were selected, eventually giving rise to the domesticated leafy kale. Literary evidence of the use of these crops in ancient Greek and Roman times (Toxopeus 1974) adds weight to the hypothesis of domestication events in the Mediterranean area Another hypothesis, based on morphological traits, proposed a multiple origin of the cultivated forms, assuming that cabbage derived from the wild Atlantic B. oleracea, while branching kale, stem kale, broccoli, and cauliflower could have derived from Mediterranean species such as B. rupestris Rafin., B. incana Ten., and B. cretica Lam. This study is a part of a larger project focusing on the domestication of Brassica oleracea using various methods
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