Likely one of the earliest domesticated types of plants, subspecies of the bottle gourd, " Lagenaria siceraria ", have been discovered in archaeological sites dating from as early as 13, 000 BC . Gourds have had numerous uses throughout history, including as tools, musical instruments, objects of art, film, and food.
22.
The main plants referred to as gourds include several species from the " Cucurbita " genus ( mostly native to North America, including the Malabar gourd and turban squash ), " Crescentia cujete " ( the tree gourd or calabash tree, native to the American tropics ) and " Lagenaria siceraria " ( bottle gourd ).
23.
Gorman claimed that Spirit Cave included remains of Prunus ( almond ), Terminalia, Areca ( betel ), Vicia ( broadbean ) or Phaseolus, Pisum ( pea ) or Raphia Lagenaria ( bottle gourd ), Trapa ( Chinese water chestnut ), Piper ( pepper ), Madhuca ( butternut ), Canarium, Aleurites ( candle nut ), and Cucumis ( a cucumber type ) in layers dating to c . 9800-8500 BCE . None of the recovered specimens differed from their wild phenotypes.
