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Wild watermelons typically had pale, non-sweet, bitter or bland flesh used more for moisture than flavor

Wild watermelon seeds dating back around 5,000 years have been found in Sahara/Libya

Egyptian tomb paintings show watermelon consumption, strongly suggesting it was cultivated in the Nile Valley by this time
More than 4000 years ago.

Early domestication appears tied to Northeast African agriculturalists, probably around regions of present-day Sudan–Egypt
These people selected variants with reduced bitterness and greater water content, later leading to sweeter types.

Even though there are other “melons” in the culinary sense. Watermelon is a different genus (Citrullus) than other common mellons
Thus has a distinct origin and domestication path.

Check out watermelons, and some more neolithic architecture today.

Bibliography: Paris, Harry S Origin and emergence of the sweet dessert watermelon, Citrullus lanatus}, Annals of Botany {116},number = {2}, {133-148}, {2015},month = {07}, issn = {0305-7364}, doi = {10.1093/aob/mcv077}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcv077}

Paris, H.S. (2017). Origin of the dessert watermelon, Citrullus lanatus. Acta Hortic. 1151, 87-94 DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1151.15 https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1151.15

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.