I was trying to recall the last story I read about how long man has been eating or at least cultivating figs and came across this article about how long the fig wasp has been around.

http://www.futurity.org/science-technology/34-million-year-old-fig-wasp-fossil-found/

I saw a fossilized fig on eBay years ago and am still kicking myself for not buying it.

It is amazing how figs come in so many different forms, but the wasp is still basically the same for all species. I guess because all figs are more or less the same... ostiole, interior cavity and flowers.

I seem to remember Adam and Eve sewing figs leaves together, so apparently they have been around since the beginning.

Haha, too funny Jon.  Indeed.

I've read estimates that they've been propagated and cultivated by humanoids for upwards of 10,000+ years.  Here's an interesting story from NPR on ancient figs found in an 11,400 year old house:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5446137

There's a lot more out there that puts that number even farther back, but ... figs are considered by many to be the first known cultivated fruit crop.