Work

Feeding ancient cities in South Asia: dating the adoption of rice, millet and tropical pulses in the Indus civilisation

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: The first direct absolute dates for the exploitation of several summer crops by Indus populations are presented here. These include rice, millets and three tropical pulse species at two settlements in the hinterland of the urban site of Rakhigarhi. The dates confirm the role of native summer domesticates in the rise of Indus cities. They demonstrate that, from their earliest phases, a range of crops and variable strategies, including multi-cropping, were used to feed different urban centres. This has important implications for understanding the development of the earliest cities in South Asia, particularly the organisation of labour and provisioning throughout the year.

Source: Antiquity

DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2016.210

Authors: C.A. Petrie, J. Bates, T. Higham, R.N. Singh

Institutions: University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Banaras Hindu University

Language: English

Topic: Archaeology and ancient environmental studies

Subfield: Paleontology

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Isaac Newton Trust, Arts and Humanities Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research