Revisiting the concept of the ‘Neolithic Founder Crops’ in southwest Asia

Abstract Zohary and Hopf coined the term ‘founder crops’ to refer a specific group of eight plants, namely three cereals (einkorn, emmer barley), four legumes (lentil, pea, bitter vetch chickpea), fibre/oil crop (flax), that founded early Neolithic agriculture in southwest Asia. considered these taxa as first cultivated domesticated species, well those agricultural communities exploited eventually spread Europe other regions. As result, species soon become hallmark plant-based subsistence. However, concept was defined at end 1980s, when development rapid event, therefore, terms like domestication, plant cultivation were used interchangeably literature. The aim this paper is thus revisit ‘Neolithic founder crops’. Through critical review archaeobotanical evidence gathered last 40 years, we evaluate relative contribution ‘eight crop’ subsistence across different periods Asian Neolithic. We conclude multiple groups ‘founder’ could be depending on whether one seeks represent most plants period, crops, or Europe. Improved understanding general, particular, will attained by moving beyond conventional narratives exploring evolutionary history than original species.