Farmers in the Middle East were more committed to wine production over olive growing during times of climatic change in the Bronze and Iron Ages, according to new research.
Archaeologists who analysed the charred remains of ancient plant samples found that irrigation was used to maintain grape cultivation as people prioritised viticulture.
Their findings provide evidence of the importance of wine production for cultural and economic purposes during that period.
The research, led by the University of Tübingen, Germany, and involving Durham University, UK, is published in the journal PLOS One.
The team looked at over 1,500 seed and wood samples from grape and olive plants from the Early Bronze Age to the Iron Age (5,000 to 2,600 years before today).
The samples came from the Levant region and northern Mesopotamia, which today includes Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, and northern Iraq.
The researchers analysed the ratios of stable carbon isotopes – non-radioactive forms of carbon that do not decay over time – in the samples to see how much water was available as the plants grew.
During the Early Bronze Age evidence of water stress matched seasonal variations in moisture.
During later periods there was greater variability in water stress, while the presence of grapes and olives in drier regions indicated more widespread use of irrigation.
The analysis also showed evidence for intensive irrigation of grape crops since the Middle Bronze Age, as well as the presence of cultivated grapes in areas poorly-suited to growing the fruit.
This suggests that grapes and wine were of particular cultural and economic value, confirming the findings of previous archaeological research.
Research senior author Professor Dan Lawrence, in the Department of Archaeology, Durham University, said: “Olive and grape were key crops, providing both food for locals and exportable commodities which facilitated trade between the Levant and Mesopotamia, and beyond with Egypt, Turkey and the wider Mediterranean.
“Our research demonstrates that farmers in the Middle East thousands of years ago were making decisions about which crops to plant and how to manage them, balancing the risk of harvest failure with the effort needed to irrigate, and the likely demand for their products.
“It reminds us that people in the past were just as smart as people today, and that seemingly modern issues like resilience to climate change and the need to allocate resources carefully have long histories.”
Grape and olive farming traditions have changed through time based on shifts in climate and the needs of the local culture, according to a study published September 17, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Simone Riehl of the University of Tübingen, Germany and colleagues.
Throughout human history, olives and grapes have been important crops thanks to their nutritional value, symbolic significance, and key role in the production of valuable trading goods such as olive oil and wine. The availability of these crops, however, has fluctuated over time with changes to culture and climate. In this study, Riehl and colleagues compiled data from archaeological sites across the Levant and northern Mesopotamian regions to assess how agricultural practices have changed over time.
The authors analyzed over 1,500 seed and wood samples from the Early Bronze Age to the Iron Age, measuring stable isotopes of carbon as an indicator of moisture availability during the growth of the plants. During the Early Bronze Age, evidence of water stress matches seasonal moisture variations, but during later periods, greater variability in water stress and the presence of these crops in drier regions indicates more widespread use of irrigation practices. Periods of increased crop stress also line up with well-documented climate fluctuations.
These results provide a wealth of new data for examining how agricultural practices have been impacted over time by changing climates and farming techniques. Since the Middle Bronze Age, abundant evidence for intense irrigation of grape crops, as well as the presence of cultivated grapes even in poorly-suited climate zones, indicates a stronger commitment to viticulture compared to other crops such as olives. This pattern suggests that grapes and wine were of particular cultural and economic value, consistent with previous archaeological research.
The authors add: “Our research demonstrates that farmers in Southwest Asia 4,000 years ago were making decisions about which crops to plant and how to manage them, balancing the risk of harvest failure with the effort needed to irrigate, and the likely demand for their products. It reminds us that people in the past were just as smart as people today, and that seemingly modern issues like resilience to climate change and the need to allocate resources carefully have long histories.”
The freely available article in PLOS One: http://plos.io/3JBtHad
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