History of Einkorn and Emmer

Humans started about 10.000 years ago with systematic agriculture in the Fertile Crescent. Einkorn and Emmer were one of the founder crops used in this systematic agriculture. Emmer was the main cereal in the Fertile Crescent, Greece and Egypt. After his invasion in Egypt, Julius Caesar brought Emmer to Rome, where it was widely adapted to Roman agriculture. “Ötzi”, who ended as famous glacier mummy, took Einkorn as food for his journey across the Alps. The use of Einkorn ended already in the early Middle Ages while Emmer was present in agriculture till the 11^th century. Sporadic Einkorn cropping was recorded in the 19^th and 20^th century but for the use of its flexible straw to create beehives.