A watermelon is centuries old, scientists have discovered
The early ancestors of the watermelon probably originated in Africa. But where in Africa? What did that watermelon taste like? And how do researchers know?
Plant expert Harry Paris has delved into the history of the watermelon. According to him, the watermelon is at least five thousand years old, as evidenced by excavations in Libya. Watermelon seeds were found among the burial remains. Those seeds were also found in Egyptian tombs, and images of those watermelons appeared on the walls. They are elongated, just like the melons in our modern supermarkets. According to Paris, that is the indication that they were cultivated rather than picked in the wild: the wild ancestor of the watermelon was a small, rock-hard melon.
Pink color
Those ancient melons were small and bitter, and the flesh did not yet have that cheerful pink color. So that bitter thing grew in Africa, then made its way to the Mediterranean region and from the south conquered Europe. Paris set out to find out how that development unfolded.
The plant may have descended from the African citron melon. It was cultivated in Egypt four thousand years ago, but the ancestor of the watermelon may also have been the egusi melon from West Africa. These were originally grown for their seeds – precisely the part of the watermelon that everyone spits out. But whatever other researchers may say, Paris believes it is most likely that the watermelon was derived from the African melon known there as ‘gurum’.
Handy on the road
Why did Egyptians grow watermelons if those melons tasted unpleasant and bitter? You can store them well, Paris discovered, and that may well be the reason. Even when no water can be found, you can quench your thirst with a piece of watermelon. Ideal! In 1924, an archaeologist observed that watermelons were still being stored in Sudan to be brought out during the dry season as a thirst quencher. That is why Paris and his colleagues also find traces of watermelon in the pharaoh’s tomb: he had a long journey to the underworld ahead of him, and a juicy piece of watermelon is quite handy along the way.
Rind on your head
Between 400 BC and AD 500, the watermelon became increasingly common in Southern Europe. Paris suspects this was also because it was so handy for quenching thirst on the road. The ancient Greeks loved watermelon because they could also use it for medical purposes: it was good for hydration, and children suffering from the heat were given watermelon rind to place on their heads. In ancient Rome too, watermelon was praised for being so wonderfully cooling.
Of course, watermelons changed over time. By repeatedly selecting the sweetest and juiciest watermelons, they became increasingly sweet. Interestingly, the color of the watermelon also became increasingly pink-orange. In the fourteenth century, images show beautiful pink watermelons with lovely green-striped rinds.
Read also:
- This is the watermelon accessory we didn’t know we couldn’t live without
- Recipe: the perfect salad with watermelon and mozzarella
- How to choose the perfect watermelon
Source: National Geographic
