An Ancient Technique for Ripening Sycomore Fruit in East.Mediterranean Countries J. GALIL 1 Introduction Sycomore trees (Ficus sycomor~s L.) are widespread in the Near East, in Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Cyprus. They grow chiefly in plains and along rivers, where the soil renmins humid even during the hot and dry s']mmer. They are tall trees with a broad crown and spreading branches, standing out conspicuously from other plants. Sycomores originate fro.m the savannas of eastern Central Africa and from Yemen, where they grow spontaneously and repro- duce by seeds. The flowers are pollinated regularly by the small chalcidoid wasp Cera- tosolen arab@us Mayr. It is not known how the sycomore was introduced into the Near East. Perhaps seeds or branches were swept with the Nile flood, or man may have brought it along from the south (20). In any case, remains of the syeomore tree (wood, roots and fruit), discovered in Egypt, date as far back as the predynastic period; i.e., more than 3000 years B. C. (17). The original pollinators of the syconmre did not reach the Mediterranean countries, and, consequently, seeds were not formed there, nor in Egypt nor Israel. Theophrastus (372-287 B.C.) stated that the sycomore did not produce seeds in Egypt. Dry sycomore fruit found in the grave of Ani of the XXth dynasty (about 1100 B.C.) contained nei- ther seeds nor Ccratosolen wasps (7). Thus, sycomore trees growing in the Near East are outside the spontaneous area of the plant and depend on man for their propagation. They are easily increased through cuttings and. stakes. Apart fr<>m its importance as a. good shade tree, the sycomore also provides tim- ber and fruit. In desert-dry Egypt, which 1 Department of Botany, Tel-Aviv Univer- sity, Tel-Aviv, Israel. Received for publication July 5, 1967. was always very short on trees, the wood of the sycomore was highly valued. The ancient Egyptians used it to make a wide assortment of household utensils and factory imple- ments, houses, all kinds of boxes and espe- cially coffins (23). Figuratively speaking and from the standpoint of construction timber, the ancient Egyptian civilization may be said to have been firmly based on the sycomore tree (17). Although the taste of sycomore fruit is not superlative, in Egypt it has been held in high esteem since earliest times. The Egyptians of old expressed their affection and appreciation for the sycomore in many ways. It was held sacred to various deities, especially to Iiathor, the goddess of love. Representations of the tree and its fruit are to be found on bas-reliefs and ancient papyri, and songs have been written ia its praise. Of special interest to the botanist are the fruit and leafy branches placed as funeral offerings in the tombs of kings and noblemen; owing to dryness of the air, these specimens have been very well preserved and can be studied now just as readily as any recent plant (7, 15). It is not known when the sycomore was brought to Israel from Egypt, but it is quite evident that this must have taken place very early in history, as the tree was well known in Biblical times. In Israel, the sycomore grows chiefly in the coastal plain and in the Jordan Valley. Both the tree and its fruit were appreciated by the inhabitants, but not so highly as in Egypt. The fruit could not compete with the common figs, pomegranates and grapes. In ancient Israel, sycamore was eaten mostly by the poor who could not afford the more expensive fruits. The wood of the sycomore was held in relatively higher esteem than its fruit. It was used extensively in building and wherever long and stout beams were needed. Ac- cordingly, in Talmudie literature, mainly in 178GALIL : TECHNIQUE FOR RIPENING SYCOMORE FRUIT 179 the Mishna and the Tosephta, we find many rules governing use of the tree and its products. (4). The extensive literature on the syc(mmrc accumulated from the tinle of Theophrastus to the present makes repeated reference to a unique treatment of the sycomore fruit, as practiced in Egypt and in Cyprus. Theo- phrastus states (21, vol. 1, book IV, p. 291) : "It cannot ripen unless it is scraped, but they scrape it with iron claws; the fruit thus scraped ripens in four days." Keimer (14) quotes an Egyptian farmer on the same subject: "Before I begin the work of cutting the sycomore figs, first of all I sharpen two similar knives. Then I climb the tree. As there are innumerable fruit on the tree, I must work quickly. I take therefore a knife in each hand, that is when the form of the branch offers a sufficient hold .... " In the same work, Keimer depicts the special knife used by the Egyptians for making these circular cuts (Fig. 1). Brief references to such treatment are found also in the writ- ings of several other authors (1, 11, 12). The Fig. 1. Knives used for gashing of syeomore figs in Egypt (according to Henslow (A, B) and Keimer (A). circular cuts have often been observed on dry sycomore fruit from ancient tombs or th'lt depicted in old paintings and bas-reliefs (Fig. 2). Even contemporary Egyptian farmers employ the same technique, and on sycomore fruit sold in the suburbs of Cairo, dark, gaping circular cuts are prominent (Fig. 3). The physiology of fruit ripening has been extensively studied during the last decade (2). As a result, the role of ethylene gas in fruit ripening (3) and the effect of phytohormones on the production of ethyl- ene (10, 19) have both been proved. It is now well known that in many cases wound- ing of the fruit has a marked effect on its rate of respiration and ethylene production, and consequently on its ripening (18). All these data are indispensable for understand- ing the gashing technique. Descriptions of the cuts in sycomore fruit are widespread in botanical and Egyptologi- cal literature, but they are not backed up by sufficient knowledge of
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