Wild Apple - Kazakstan

Malus sieversii - Apple trees originated in Central Asia and its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, continues to thrive in Kazakstan. The apple tree is deciduous and grows from 1.8 to 4.6 meters in cultivated settings and up to 12 meters when found in the wild. The skin of an apple is naturally covered with a layer of epicuticular wax. It is often assumed this protective cover helps ward off insects,

- - - - -

The Botai culture was an ancient archaeological culture situated in Kazakhstan’s present day province of Aqmola. It has been traced back to approximately 7,000 years ago. Research has provided strong evidence of the Botai people being the first to domesticate the horse. Shards of pottery with depictions of horses show the close ties between the Botai and the horse. The Botai people made clothing from the skin, drank mare’s milk, fashioned bones into tools, and used the horse as a form of transportation.

Almond - Syria

Between 1974 and 1975, more than 1,800 ancient clay tablets were uncovered in Ebla, Syria. The tablets were written in the Sumerian conic script, an ancient language known as Eblaite, a reference to the location where the tablets were found. The tablets provide an insight to Ebla, an early Syrian kingdom.

- - - - -

Prunus amygdalus - The almond tree is a deciduous tree classified in the same family of trees featuring plums, cherries, apricots, nectarines, and peaches. Depending on location, the almond tree can grow from 4 to 10 meters in height and begins yielding a mature crop 3 years after planting. The plant originated in the Eastern Mediterranean region and has a wide variety of uses. Almonds can be eaten whole, used in marzipan, made into almond butter or almond milk, and can be used in making amaretto, a sweet liqueur.