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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2016

C.A. Petrie ,
J. Bates ,
T. Higham  and
R.N. Singh
C.A. Petrie*
Affiliation:
Division of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, UK
J. Bates
Affiliation:
Division of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, UK
T. Higham
Affiliation:
RLAHA, Oxford University, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
R.N. Singh
Affiliation:
Department of AIHC & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
*
*Author for correspondence (Email: [email protected])
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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.

Keywords

South AsiaIndus civilisationricemilletpulses
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 90 , Issue 354 , December 2016 , pp. 1489 - 1504
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2016 

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