Molecular Characterization and Ex Situ Conservation of Wild Grapevines Grown in the Area Around the Neolithic Settlement of Dikili Tash, Greece

Dikili Tash is a Neolithic settlement that lies next to the ruins of the ancient city of Philippi on the north-eastern part of Greece. A recent archaeological excavation has unearthed charred grapevine pips and pressings together with two-handed clay cups, jugs, and jars that date to 4300 BC. The ma...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Georgios Merkouropoulos, Ioannis Ganopoulos, Georgios Doupis, Erika Maul, Franco Röckel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Agriculture
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/12/1301
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Summary:Dikili Tash is a Neolithic settlement that lies next to the ruins of the ancient city of Philippi on the north-eastern part of Greece. A recent archaeological excavation has unearthed charred grapevine pips and pressings together with two-handed clay cups, jugs, and jars that date to 4300 BC. The majority of the pips were found to be <i>Vitis vinifera</i> ssp. <i>sylvestris</i>. Natural populations of this species have been localized in the valley surrounding Dikili Tash and also on Mt Pangaion and Mt Lekani, which flank the valley. Fifty-one samples from these modern populations have been analyzed using microsatellites on twenty microsatellite loci, and a dendrogram has been constructed showing the genetic closeness of the samples analyzed. Cuttings from all the vines analyzed are currently rooted and grown in the Hellenic Agricultural Organization—DIMITRA (ELGO-DIMITRA) greenhouse facilities in Lykovryssi (Athens) with the aim to, eventually, be transplanted in the grapevine, thus establishing the first <i>V. sylvestris</i> ex situ conservation site in Greece.
ISSN:2077-0472