Neolithic Founder Crops

library(tidyverse)
library(praise)
library(sf)
library(rnaturalearth)
library(gganimate)

The Data

The data this week comes from The “Neolithic Founder Crops”” in Southwest Asia: Research Compendium. “Revisiting the concept of the ‘Neolithic Founder Crops’ in southwest Asia” is an open-access research paper that uses the data. Thank you for sharing your research, @joeroe!

crops <- readr::read_csv("founder_crops.csv")

crops %>%
  ggplot(aes(x = age_start)) + 
  geom_histogram()

How do crops change over time?

Base map taken from @nrennie.

world <- ne_countries(scale = "medium", returnclass = "sf") |>
  filter(subregion != "Antarctica")

p <- crops %>%
  filter(!is.na(category)) %>%
  droplevels() %>%
  #filter(age_start > date, age_end < date) %>%
  ggplot() +
  geom_sf(data = world) +
  geom_jitter(mapping = aes(x = longitude,
                           y = latitude,
                           colour = category),
             size = 3) +
  coord_sf(xlim = c(30.0, 48.6),
           ylim = c(29.8, 39.9),
           expand = FALSE) +
  labs(x = "",
       y = "") +
  theme_minimal(base_size = 16) + 
  transition_events(start = -age_start,
                    end = -age_end,
                    enter_length = 100,
                    exit_length = 100) +
  labs(title = 'Neolithic founder crops \nyears since 1950: {as.integer(-frame_time)}' )

animate(p, start_pause = 15, end_pause = 15)

Points indicate the existence of founder crops in the region of the Middle East based on the number of years since 1950.