Melon

A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit.

[6] However, recent studies suggest a Southwest Asian origin, especially Iran and India;[7][8] from there, they gradually began to appear in Europe toward the end of the Western Roman Empire.

However, recent discoveries of melon seeds dated between 1350 and 1120 BCE in Nuragic sacred wells have shown that melons were first brought to Europe by the Nuragic civilization of Sardinia during the Bronze Age.

[11] A number of Native American tribes in New Mexico, including Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Navajo, Santo Domingo and San Felipe, maintain a tradition of growing their own characteristic melon cultivars, derived from melons originally introduced by the Spanish.

Organizations like Native Seeds/SEARCH have made an effort to collect and preserve these and other heritage seeds.