Organisational Structure - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany
snow and blue ice from different lake sites, valleys,
nunataks and Polar ice bed in and around Schirmacher
oasis of East Antarctica. Recovered one lake sediment
profile from ‘Long Lake’ (70º45’20" S & 11º4’ E), 3
km west of Priyadarshini Lake during 20 th Expedition.
Daily air sampling was done by exposing glycerin
smeared slides using Burkard air sampler starting
from 40ºS of Capetown (South Africa) to Antarctica
over Southern Ocean and on return voyage from
Antarctica to Capetown respectively. A manuscript
is also finalised on this study (with A. Khandelwal).
S.K. Bera
Project 11: Archaeobotany and dendrochronology
Component 1: Ancient plant economy of pre- and proto-historic sites in northern and western India
Continued study on the botanical remains from
the non-agrarian Mesolithic site of Early Holocene
times in Pratapgarh district (UP). In earlier examined
material, damage caused by water-sieving, however,
appeared to be considerable in the form of cracking
on the surface of highly fragile grains and seeds,
fortuitously preserved in carbonised state. In the
current approach, retrieval of some exceedingly
carbonised seeds and fruits by scooping them from
the mudclods of Mesolithic habitation deposits was
an scrupulous task, but some poorly preserved
specimens are recovered in intact form. The species
of Rumex, Dactyloctenium, Setaria and Desmodium
were of similar kinds as reported earlier. A few grains
of bristlegrass (Setaria cf. verticillata) and a small
piece of rachilla of rice, however, made new
additions. A broken piece of rice grain with a small
part of husk attached, provided certain conformity
with domesticated form of Oryza sativa. A few small
pieces of wood charcoals, on being sectioned and
studied, were found belonging to those of Ziziphus
sp., Bambusa sp., Butea monosperma and Capparis
sepiaria/horrida.
‘Putranjeeva’ (Drypetes roxburghii) with holes
made across them from Imlidih-Khurd,
Gorakhpur (Ca 1300-800 B.C.) strung up in a
necklace form (scale in mm)
Study of
botanical remains
recovered through
the archaeological
excavation at an
ancient mound in
the village
Malhar, situated
on the bank of
Karamnasa River,
Chandauli district
(UP), was carried out. From a wide range of cultural
deposits dated from about 1800 to 800 BC, crop
remains homologies with the certain grains and seeds.
Remains of some weeds and other wild taxa in highly
mutilated condition were also encountered in
association of the crop assemblage. Study of large
number of wood charcoals revealed the presence of
trees and shrubs of mahua, khair/babul, salai, palash,
dhera, anwala, heens/jhiri, dahia, gular, chebulic or
harra, bamboo, etc. Further studies are in progress.
An affluent annexation was also made in the plant
economy of ancient Imlidih-Khurd in Gorakhpur
District, already worked out during 1998-99.
Voluminous quantities of ashy contents containing
enormous, minute bits of carbonised material,
recovered during excavation, were repeatedly
analysed. An embracive search led to the explicit
identification of a large number of seeds and fruits.
The find of lichen (Everniastrum cirrhatum),
from the cultural stratum datable between 1300 and
800 BC is to be reckoned with for its use as an
ingredient of spices and medicine. Vernacularly
known as ‘Chharila’, occurs on the bark of trees in
the temperate forests of Himalayas, at the elevations
of 1000-4000 m. the use of ‘Putranjeeva’ (Drypetes
roxburghii) nuts is also evidenced highly alluring one,
in the cultural lexicon. A few nuts with holes made
across them suggest to had been strung up in a
necklace. It is a unique evidence of a definite aspect
of human philosophical thought and activity, during
1300-800 BC at Imlidih-Khurd. The opulent data
generated would lend a hand in the reconstruction of
ecological surroundings of this settlement, during
1700-800 BC Not surprisingly, many plants recorded
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