Archaeologists Discover 800-Year-Old History-Altering Plant

In 2008, archeologists made a surprising find that at first seemed like an ordinary discovery of old pottery, but turned out to change the way we look at food preservation and the extinction of plant life.

A tiny clay pot that was found on a dig in the First Nation’s Menominee Reservation in Wisconsin was determined to be approximately 800-years-old. Inside the pot, archeologists found the seeds of an extinct species of gigantic squash many thought was lost for good.

 On a whim, the students at Winnipeg decided to plant the seeds, thinking there was no way they could bear fruit (figuratively speaking; they’re veggies). To everyone’s disbelief, something actually sprouted. It has now been seven years since this amazing discovery and they are working on cultivating the vegetable to prevent the food from going extinct again.

Here are images of the giant squash. It was named Gete-okosomin, which means “Big Old Squash” in Menominee. That description could not be more accurate.

That just goes to show how big of an influence humans have on this planet and that the choices we make today can affect people in the centuries ahead.