Crops stored in the granaries at Assiros included several types of wheat and two of barley, as well as millet, bitter vetch and lentils. Study of the genetic composition of some of the wheat samples shows that it is suitable for bread making - the earliest of this type discovered so far.
WHEAT STORED IN THE EAR AND PRESERVED BY CHARRING
The granaries found at Assiros in Phase 9 are a unique discovery in the prehistoric Aegean. The devastating fire which overwhelmed the site around 1300 BC preserved details of the storage containers - large baskets, pithoi and clay bins - as well as hundreds of kilogrammes of charred seeds of wheat, barley and other crops. One of the rooms measured 9 x 4 metres and is estimated to have contained about 18 m3 of stored crops.