Plant macroremains from Sarethi: An Early Historic site in Saryu region of Ganga Plain, Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

The paper highlights additional data on the carbonized remains of crop plants, weeds and wild taxa recovered from excavations at Sarethi, a multicultural site in district Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh. The field–crops are represented by the grains and seeds of Oryza sativa (rice), Hordeum vulgare (barley), Triticum aestivum (bread wheat), T. sphaerococcum (dwarf wheat), Pisum arvense (field pea), Lens culinaris (lentil), Lathyrus sativus (grass pea), Vigna sp. (green/black gram), Macrotyloma uniflorum (horse gram), Linum usitatissimum (linseed), and Gossypium arboreum/herbaceum (cotton) dating back to 200 BCE–700 CE. In addition, few weeds and wild taxa denotative of cultivated fields and surrounding vegetation have also been recorded in the assemblage. The plant remains have been discussed and compared with the information on plant based subsistence economy from other sites in the region.