Prehistoric Processing of Bitter Vetch at Lake Ohrid and Its Relevance to Food System Diversification Past and Present

The future of food systems depends upon diversifying crops. Archaeobotany offers insights into the past use of different plant foods, including minor or underutilised crops. Bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd.) is an ancient crop once widespread in parts of southern Europe and southwest Asia, and beyond. Routine consumption of this pulse by prehistoric communities has been questioned due to its mild toxicity and current limited use as fodder or famine food. Processing of bitter vetch, such as seed coat removal (dehulling), can reduce the toxin concentration, enhancing human edibility of the crop. Here, we present rarely preserved evidence for the dehulling of bitter vetch seeds from the mid-5th millennium cal BCE lakeshore settlement of Ploča Mičov Grad, Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia. We suggest that the community routinely consume bitter vetch following its transformation from a toxic plant to a safe and nourishing crop. Due to its drought tolerance and low soil fertility requirements, this underutilised crop is the focus of renewed interest. The prehistoric value placed on this climate-resilient pulse addresses calls for further scientific research into and public awareness of this underutilised crop for conservation and cultivation in efforts to diversify food systems.