Schriften zu Genetischen Ressourcen - Genres

Introduction
TH. GLADIS
Before settled agriculture, people collected, dried and stored fruits and seeds from
edible wild plants to survive hard seasons such as winter. Since its very beginning,
agriculture contributed to connecting people with the ground they were living from. All
circumstances of their life (their living standards, rites, and traditions) changed during
the agricultural revolution in prehistory. Permanent use of land resulted in property
rights systems and the defence of territories. The houses became more solid, but
social differentiation between self-sustaining families within the society was low.
There was no specialisation at that time. Later on, impoverished and landless people
went to places where chances to work arose, comparable to seasonal workers as we
know them nowadays.
During the ongoing differentiation processes, farmers always tried to remain on their
land but unlimited expansion was not possible, so some children of farmers had to
migrate or take on other professions. Many social conflicts could not be solved
peacefully, so people had to leave, and after new periods of migration they started to
settle in other places again.
People took seeds and plants with them as victuals and gifts or to trade and
exchange material. We can reconstruct the migration routes of people as well as the
routes of their preferred animals and plants. Cultivated plants and domestic animals
are part of the inalienable goods of human cultural heritage. Among other cultural
goods, seeds and animals were captured by the conquistadors during wars. Farmers
became slaves, loosing their freedom, families and social networks. After contact
with the Americas, many cultivated plants entered the Old World, such as corn (Zea
mays L.), garden bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), potato, pumpkin, squash, tomato, and
tobacco. Alfalfa, barley, cabbage, wheat, and others went together with European
emigrants and African slaves in the opposite direction. Even animals and wild plants
were transferred, some intentionally, others unintentionally. Some escaped from
culture and established themselves very well in new growing localities in Europe,
e.g., the neophytic species Robinia pseudoacacia L., Senecio inaequidens DC., and
Solidago canadensis L.
Past and present migrations
When the Romans occupied southern German territories along the Rhine River, they
tried to establish their own system to subdue the local population and to integrate it
later on step-by-step. This process is called Romanisation. The Romans brought
their language and culture to the north, including such new crops as spelt, bread
wheat, grape, fruits, and fodder legumes. The Germans kept animals only and had
just started to develop agriculture (SEIDL 1995). During the occupation period, Roman
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