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Cucumis melo have different botanical lineages
Domestication histories are distinct but partially overlapping in time and space.

Melons, or cucumis melo, include cantaloupe, honeydew, and muskmelons
Cucumis melo had wild ancestors that grew across a wide area. Including Africa and Asia. Wild populations are found in tropical savannas and semi-arid regions. Extending from western Africa, through Arabia; to south, and southeast Asia.

Research indicates multiple domestication events. Cucumis melo doesn’t have a single agreed center of origin
Africa: wild melons domesticated in parts of North and Northeast Africa early on; and,
Southwest Asia & South Asia: strong evidence that C. melo was also independently domesticated in Asia (Indus Valley, Iran, China) thousands of years ago.

Archaeological remains show cultivation in:
China — cultivation more than ~5,000 years ago;
Iran — about 5,000 years ago; and, and
Egypt & Mediterranean — by about 4,000 years ago.
Genetic studies confirm at least twice domestication: one lineage in Africa, another in Asia.

Melon domestication likely happened over a long period of time, among early agricultural cultures
In the ancient Nile valley and saharan Africa; and Indus-Ganges civilizations.

Early farmers were in Iran and central Asia
These were some of the first settled farming societies. Selecting for larger fruit and sweeter flesh over time.

Honeydew is part of the Inodorus group, developed from similar domesticated lineages and spread through north Africa and later Europe

Over several thousand years, with different ancient cultures contributing to today’s diversity. Cucumis melo appears to have multiple origins, involving both African and Asian domestication events. Check it out with more neolithic architecture today!

Bibliography: Maynard D, Maynard D. Cucumbers, Melons, and Watermelons. In: Kiple KF, Ornelas KC, eds. The Cambridge World History of Food. Cambridge University Press; 2000:298-313. 


Stephens, James M. (2018-11-01). “Melon, Honeydew—Cucumis melo L. (Inodorus group)” (https://web.archive.org/web/20181114231620/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mv093). Minor Vegetables Handbook. University ofFlorida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension. Archived from the original (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mv093) on November 14, 2018

Endl J, Achigan-Dako EG, Pandey AK, Monforte AJ, Pico B, Schaefer H. Repeated domestication of melon (Cucumis melo) in Africa and Asia and a new close relative from India. Am J Bot. 2018 Oct;105(10):1662-1671. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.1172. Epub 2018 Oct 9. Erratum in: Am J Bot. 2024 Feb;111(2):e16274. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.16274. PMID: 30299543.

USDA Database entry for honeydew melon (raw) (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169911/nutrients).