@article{fdi:010086677,
  title = {{P}hytoliths as indicators of plant water availability : the case of millets cultivation in the {I}ndus {V}alley civilization},
  author = {{D}'{A}gostini, {F}. and {R}uiz-{P}erez, {J}. and {M}adella, {M}. and {V}adez, {V}incent and {K}holova, {J}. and {L}ancelotti, {C}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he interpretation of crop water management practices has been central to the archeological debate on agricul-tural strategies and is crucial where the type of water strategy can provide fundamental explanations for the adoption and use of specific crops. {T}races of water administration are difficult to detect and are mostly indirect, in the form of water harvesting or distribution structures. {A}ttempts have been made to infer plant water avail-ability directly from archaeobotanical remains. {C}urrent evidence suggests that the ratio of sensitive to fixed phy-tolith morphotypes can be used as a proxy for water availability in {C}3 crops, as well as in sorghum and maize. {N}evertheless, the controversy on whether genetically and environmentally controlled mechanisms of biosilica deposition are directly connected to water availability in {C}4 crops is open, and several species remain to be tested for their phytolith production in relation to water levels. {T}his research aims at clarifying whether leaf phytolith assemblages and concentration, silica skeleton size and ratio of sensitive to fixed morphotypes can be related to different water regimes in {E}leusine coracana {G}aertn., {P}ennisetum glaucum ({L}.) {R}. {B}r., and {S}orghum bicolor ({L}.) {M}oench. {W}e cultivated 5 traditional landraces for each species in lysimeters, under different watering conditions and analyzed their phytolith content/production in leaves. {R}esults show higher proportions of long cells, bulliforms and stomata produced in well watered conditions. {T}he model built on the basis of phytolith composi-tion has been then applied to interpret archeological phytolith assemblages recovered from a single phase at four different sites of the {I}ndus {C}ivilisation: {H}arappa, {K}anmer, {S}hikarpur and {A}lamgirpur. {T}he results show that most probably {C}4 crops grew under water stress conditions, providing new data on the interpretation of ancient agricultural management in the {I}ndus {V}alley.},
  keywords = {{P}hytolith ; {W}ater availability ; {C}4 ; {M}illets ; {I}ndus valley civilization ; {PAKISTAN}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{R}eview of {P}alaeobotany and {P}alynology},
  volume = {309},
  numero = {},
  pages = {104783 [13 p.]},
  ISSN = {0034-6667},
  year = {2023},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.revpalbo.2022.104783},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010086677},
}