A University of Connecticut assistant professor Alexia Smith got a prestigious award to conduct studies in the territory of Armenia, Syria and Turkey.

The National Science Foundation provided a $400,000 grant to study ancient plant life at Middle Eastern archaeological sites, courant.com website reported.

The researcher will try to find out how ancient humans grew plants for food from about 6000 to 550 B.C.

Later Alexia Smith will bring the preserved plant and seed samples for study in U.S.