Agricultural Adaptation in a Geographic Context.

Washington University, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this research to study long term and long-distance farming dispersals. Such process of early food globalization had profound long-term social and ecological impacts, which transformed past societies with consequences lasting until this day. Previous work on this topic has focused on the routes and chronologies of crop movements. However, identifying the specific manner of their cultivation and processing has proven problematic. Understanding past farming and dietary conditions can also help to understand some of the challenges people face today. Traditional farming techniques can be insightful to global food security and cultivation practices in modern-day marginal environments. This project addresses these issues by specifically asking: When did millet spread westward from its point of geographic origin? Did culinary practices such as steaming and boiling travel with it? When did wheat and barley spread eastward? Did ancient farmers irrigate the crops or cultivate them under water stress conditions in rainfed systems? The research team focuses on identifying organic residues preserved in pottery sherds to assess relevant receiving areas cooking techniques far from millet’s origin. They examine and evaluate the isotopic compositions of wheat and barley preserved at 41 sites to enable insights into the water management strategies in those regions. By addressing those questions, the implication of the project moves beyond the regional focus. Central to the inquiry is how non-native innovations were transformed within the indigenous social and cultural spheres. In this context, the project will contribute to a global theme in understanding practice- and agent-based early globalization. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.