What is the first fruit eaten by humans? Uncovering the ancient history of figs and more

December 23, 2025 •

4 min read

The oldest known cultivated fruit discovered by archaeologists is the fig, with remains found dating back over 11,400 years. To understand what is the first fruit eaten by humans, however, we must distinguish between foraging wild fruits and intentionally cultivating them for harvest.

Quick Summary

Early hominins foraged for wild fruits and berries as part of their omnivorous diet for millions of years. While the very first fruit is unknown, the fig stands out as the first intentionally cultivated fruit crop discovered.

Key Points

Figs were the first cultivated fruit: Archaeological evidence from the Neolithic village of Gilgal I shows figs were intentionally planted over 11,400 years ago, pre-dating other known crops.
The earliest fruit was wild: The very first fruit eaten by humans or their early ancestors was a wild species, likely from the African savannas, predating agriculture by millions of years.
Early humans were omnivores: The diet of early hominins included not just fruit but also leaves, nuts, seeds, and occasionally meat or insects, showing a varied foraging strategy.
Domestication led to settlement: The ability to cultivate crops like figs enabled humans to transition from a nomadic lifestyle to forming permanent settlements, marking the start of the Neolithic period.
Other fruits followed the fig: After figs, other fruits like dates, olives, and grapes were domesticated in the ancient world, further expanding agricultural practices.
Ancient fruits were different from modern ones: Most ancient wild and early cultivated fruits were smaller and less sweet than the varieties we eat today, which are the result of thousands of years of selective breeding.
Archaeological sites provide dietary clues: Findings like carbonized fruits and analysis of dental calculus offer scientists tangible evidence of what our ancestors consumed thousands of years ago.

Foraging for the First Wild Fruits

Long before the dawn of agriculture, the earliest hominins, including species like Australopithecus afarensis, were already consuming a diet rich in plant matter. Evidence suggests that their diets were similar to modern-day gorillas and chimpanzees, consisting primarily of leaves and wild fruits, supplemented with seeds, nuts, and insects. The exact species of the 'first' fruit they ate is impossible to determine, as it would have been a wild variety specific to their African habitat millions of years ago.

As humans evolved and spread, their diets diversified to include local flora. Analysis of Neanderthal dental calculus, for example, reveals the consumption of date palms, legumes, and seeds, often cooked, proving that even early human relatives utilized fire to prepare plant-based foods. This foraging stage was characterized by gathering seasonal fruits, berries, and nuts as they were naturally available. The sweet flavor of ripe fruit, a signal of energy and nutrition, has been a key factor in guiding primate feeding behavior for millions of years. This era of gathering shaped our dietary preferences long before permanent settlements or intentional cultivation existed.

The Advent of Agriculture and the First Cultivated Fruit

The question of the first cultivated fruit can be answered with more certainty, thanks to archaeological discoveries. In 2006, researchers from Harvard University and Israel's Bar-Ilan University announced the discovery of nine carbonized figs dating back over 11,400 years. These ancient figs were found in the early Neolithic village of Gilgal I, near Jericho in the West Bank.

What makes this discovery so significant is that the figs were a sterile, parthenocarpic variety, meaning they could only have been cultivated and propagated with human intervention. This evidence of intentional planting and selection predates the domestication of other foundational crops like wheat and barley by approximately a thousand years, making figs the earliest known domesticated fruit and potentially the first instance of organized agriculture. This critical switch from passively exploiting natural resources to actively modifying the environment to suit human needs was a pivotal moment in human history, fundamentally changing settlement patterns and societal structures.

The Famous Fig: A Prehistoric Game-Changer

The fig's role as the first cultivated fruit was a testament to its value as a storable and nutritious food source. These early agriculturalists would have stored and preserved the figs, likely by drying them, allowing them to have a food supply beyond the immediate harvest. The fig's ability to be vegetatively propagated via cuttings also made it easier for early farmers to cultivate and spread. Its nutritional density and easy preservation made it a cornerstone of the ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern diet, a legacy that has endured for millennia.

Other Contenders for the Oldest Fruit Title

While the fig holds the title for the oldest cultivated fruit, other fruits were also domesticated in the ancient world, playing important roles in different cultures. Archaeological evidence points to dates, olives, and grapes as other very early contenders.

Comparison of Early Fruit Cultivation


Fruit	First Evidence of Cultivation	Approximate Age	Region of Origin
Fig	Gilgal I, Jericho (intentional planting)	~11,400 years ago	Middle East
Date Palm	Mesopotamia (cultivation methods codified)	~6,000 years ago	Near East/Africa
Olive	Tel Tsaf, Jordan Valley (orchard evidence)	~7,000 years ago	Mediterranean Basin
Grape	Georgia (winemaking traces)	~8,000 years ago	Caucasus region

From Wild Foraging to Managed Orchards

The transition from gathering wild fruits to cultivating domesticated crops was a gradual and profound process. It involved a number of key steps that enabled human societies to establish more stable and productive food systems. These developments laid the foundation for modern agriculture.

Intentional Propagation: Early farmers learned that they could replant cuttings or seeds from desirable plants to ensure future harvests, a departure from simply relying on nature's unpredictable bounty.
Settled Life: With a reliable food source from cultivated orchards, people could transition from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to settled village life.
Horticultural Techniques: Over time, techniques like grafting, pruning, and irrigation were developed and refined to increase yield and fruit quality.
Creation of New Varieties: By selecting and propagating certain variants, early farmers inadvertently began a process of selective breeding that would eventually lead to the diverse fruit varieties we enjoy today, which are often much larger and sweeter than their wild ancestors.

Conclusion: The First Fruit's Enduring Legacy

While the specific fruit first foraged by the earliest hominins remains a mystery lost to prehistory, archaeological evidence provides a clear answer regarding the first cultivated fruit: the fig. The discovery of figs at Gilgal I represents a monumental shift from foraging to farming, a key moment in human cultural evolution. This initial step toward fruit horticulture paved the way for the domestication of many other fruits, leading to the diverse agricultural world we know today. The fig's journey from a wild forest snack to the foundation of agriculture is a powerful testament to human ingenuity and our long relationship with the natural world. For more on the health benefits and historical context of figs, see the comprehensive review on the topic(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10255635/).

Frequently Asked Questions

The specific fruit species that first existed on Earth is not known. However, fossil evidence of fruits, which evolved with flowering plants to spread seeds, dates back tens of millions of years, far before humans existed.

The first fruit eaten was a wild fruit foraged by early hominins, an unknown species specific to their habitat millions of years ago. The first cultivated fruit refers to the first fruit intentionally planted and managed by humans, which is the fig, based on current evidence.

In the Paleolithic diet, fruit was a key component, along with other wild plants, nuts, and roots. However, unlike today's year-round availability, fruit would have only been a seasonal food source for hunter-gatherer societies.

Early humans likely relied on observation, trial and error, and mimicking other animals. Sweetness was an important natural signal that a fruit was safe and nutritious, as toxic plants typically lack this quality.

The discovery of cultivated figs near Jericho is important because it represents the earliest known evidence of agriculture. This marked a fundamental shift in human behavior from foraging to farming and enabled the growth of settled societies.

No, bananas were not the first fruit eaten by humans. While they have a long history of cultivation, early hominins ate wild fruits in Africa millions of years ago, long before bananas were documented.

After the fig, other fruits that were among the earliest to be cultivated include grapes (for winemaking), dates, and olives, which were vital food sources for ancient societies in the Mediterranean and Near East.