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comment by kleinbl00
kleinbl00  ·  567 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: This miracle plant was eaten into extinction 2,000 years ago—or was it?

Who can be? that said, IF:

- Minoan civilization is dated to 3500BC and IF

- the Minoans had a glyph for it and IF

- Alexander the Great was already looking for a substitute in 350 BC THEN

It's safe to assume the cultivation of silphium predates the Mycenians, and also likely to presume that it had attained permanent cultural importance with the Minoans, especially as the Minoans were matriarchal and had a much more driving need for effective birth control.