Domestication of Plants in the Old World

This study reviews the origin and subsequent spread of the plants on which Old World food production was founded. It is based on detailed consideration of two lines of evidence: the plant remains found at archaeological sites, and the knowledge that has accumulated about the present-day wild relatives of cultivated plants. General conclusions are presented separately from the facts that bear upon them, so that readers can draw their own conclusions from the evidence. The text has been considerably revised to include a chapter on dye plants and new information on vegetables and fruit trees.