The impact of intensification and deintensification of Asian rice production: transitions between wet and dry ecologies
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Institute of Archaeology
Abstract
Rice is one of the worlds most important crops, and it has a long history of supporting dense populations and civilizations throughout East, South and Southeast Asia. This project will reveal the history of rice cultivation comparatively across the region using cutting age archaeological science. One major aim is to reconstruct how rice was grown across the region at different times. Rice may be grown in wet cultivation systems (irrigated or flooded) and dry cultivation (based only on rainfall, often in upland areas), and in intermediate lowland, rainfed conditions. These different systems have important implications in terms of how productive rice is, and therefore how much human population it can support, as well as how labour-intensive it was. Dry systems yielded less but also cost less in terms of labour. How rice was grown has important implications for the impact that humans and rice had on environmental change. Intensive systems tend to require greater landscape modification and by supporting higher populations have knock-on effects on other resources, for example through deforestation. Another very important impact is the production of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Dry rice cultivation systems produce little methane whereas the more productive wet systems produce a lot. It has been hypothesized by some climate scientists that methane from rice contributed to an anomalous rise in methane over the past 5000 years which is not explained by natural sources. If so, then this has contributed to global warming even before the industrial era and will need to be factored into models that hope to predict where global climate change is going. One of the aims of this project is to ground truth this hypothesis by modelling up from the empirical archaeological evidence for rice cultivation over time to assess whether this fits with explaining at least part of the methane anomaly. In order to do this we need better evidence not just for where and when rice was cultivated but also whether it was grown in wet or dry systems. Through systematic study of archaeologically preserved seeds, we can identify the weed flora associated with past rice and whether it fits with a wet or dry system. In addition we have developed methods for classifying the assemblages of phytoliths (microscopic silica from the decomposition of plants) from archaeological sites as indicating wetter or drier rice cultivation regimes. We are now hoping to apply these methods over a larger number of sites and regions, especially regions for which archaeobotanical evidence for early rice is limited or lacking, including parts of India (western and northeastern), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, and southern China (Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangdong). By combining these new results in a GIS modelling system, together with data from other parts of the region, mostly collected by us and colleagues over the past few years, we will be better able to produce realistic spatial models of the spread of rice, the extent of wet rice, and likely methane emissions over time. We will also be able to improve our understanding of how the development of rice agriculture relates to the long-term history of human societies in this region.
Planned Impact
We expect our results to have an impact on policy makers considering climate change and greenhouse gas mitigation and agricultural policy, and within Asian countries those concerned with cultural heritage education; and we will impact a wide interdisciplinary set of academic audiences. We also hope to reach a wider public through our web-based outreach, including education and training videos.
1. Policy makers (in relation to agriculture and climate change): Rice paddies are a major source of greenhouses gases, but an active area of academic debate revolves around the extent to which prehistoric rice paddies contributed artificial methane to rises of global temperature before 1700 AD. If so, this has implications for the baseline starting point of predictive climate change models on which mitigation strategies are based, and one form of mitigation may include shifting from wetter to drier forms of rice cultivation. Our results will directly assess the likely contribution of prehistoric rice to pre-modern methane levels. Our preliminary results on this have already been cited in the Fifth Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Stocker et al eds. 2013 citing Fuller et al 2011). A better understanding of the agricultural past, its successes in sustainability and its impacts on environmental change can only be a positive in planning for the future.
2. Cultural heritage sector. Agricultural heritage is a newly emerging sector that is increasingly taking its place alongside monumental heritage in the presentation and teaching of the past, in schools, universities and museums, but this is still an underdeveloped area of research and teaching in many countries, especially across tropical Asia. We will strive for a direct impact in this area by hosting training events in archaeobotany and rice agricultural history and its relation to climate change in countries where we work and where rice is a major staple, including India, China and Thailand. We will reach out to students and future researchers directly and by making videos from these events for online distribution we will aim for a lasting outreach to a more global audience (see Pathways to Impact Plan).
3. Interdisciplinary impact with the academic/research community. This is detailed above under "academic beneficiaries" but should be noted that the track record of related research by the PI has had an impact across geographical sciences, life sciences and humanities, by being of relevance to geneticists, rice researchers, the quaternary sciences, and linguistics, as well as its own subject area of science-based archaeology.
4. Through our website (www.ucl.ac.uk/rice), which we plan to expand and revamp, and videos we will be able to reach wider audience. As rice is such a well-known crop everywhere it can intersect with many age groups and communities as lens into considering the long-term transformation of the earth through agricultural production.
1. Policy makers (in relation to agriculture and climate change): Rice paddies are a major source of greenhouses gases, but an active area of academic debate revolves around the extent to which prehistoric rice paddies contributed artificial methane to rises of global temperature before 1700 AD. If so, this has implications for the baseline starting point of predictive climate change models on which mitigation strategies are based, and one form of mitigation may include shifting from wetter to drier forms of rice cultivation. Our results will directly assess the likely contribution of prehistoric rice to pre-modern methane levels. Our preliminary results on this have already been cited in the Fifth Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Stocker et al eds. 2013 citing Fuller et al 2011). A better understanding of the agricultural past, its successes in sustainability and its impacts on environmental change can only be a positive in planning for the future.
2. Cultural heritage sector. Agricultural heritage is a newly emerging sector that is increasingly taking its place alongside monumental heritage in the presentation and teaching of the past, in schools, universities and museums, but this is still an underdeveloped area of research and teaching in many countries, especially across tropical Asia. We will strive for a direct impact in this area by hosting training events in archaeobotany and rice agricultural history and its relation to climate change in countries where we work and where rice is a major staple, including India, China and Thailand. We will reach out to students and future researchers directly and by making videos from these events for online distribution we will aim for a lasting outreach to a more global audience (see Pathways to Impact Plan).
3. Interdisciplinary impact with the academic/research community. This is detailed above under "academic beneficiaries" but should be noted that the track record of related research by the PI has had an impact across geographical sciences, life sciences and humanities, by being of relevance to geneticists, rice researchers, the quaternary sciences, and linguistics, as well as its own subject area of science-based archaeology.
4. Through our website (www.ucl.ac.uk/rice), which we plan to expand and revamp, and videos we will be able to reach wider audience. As rice is such a well-known crop everywhere it can intersect with many age groups and communities as lens into considering the long-term transformation of the earth through agricultural production.
Organisations
- University College London (Lead Research Organisation)
- National Taiwan University (Collaboration)
- Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Australian National University (ANU) (Collaboration)
- Peking University (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- University of Hyderabad (Collaboration)
- University of Pennsylvania (Collaboration)
- University of Otago (Collaboration)
- Silpakorn University (Collaboration)
- University of Oregon (Collaboration)
- University of Manila (Collaboration)
- University of Lille (Collaboration)
- Jahangirnagar University (Collaboration)
- James Cook University (Collaboration)
- Sichuan University (Project Partner)
- North Eastern Hill University (Project Partner)
- University of Cambridge (Project Partner)
- Jahangirnagar University (Project Partner)
- University of Hawaii at Manoa (Project Partner)
Publications
Allaby RG
(2022)
Emerging evidence of plant domestication as a landscape-level process.
in Trends in ecology & evolution
Allaby RG
(2017)
Geographic mosaics and changing rates of cereal domestication.
in Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
Allué E
(2021)
A step forward in tropical anthracology: understanding woodland vegetation and wood uses in ancient Sri Lanka based on charcoal records from Mantai, Kirinda and Kantharodai
in Quaternary International
Barron A
(2020)
Sherds as archaeobotanical assemblages: Gua Sireh reconsidered
in Antiquity
Bellina B
(2018)
Myanmar's earliest Maritime Silk Road port-settlements revealed
in Antiquity
Boivin NL
(2016)
Ecological consequences of human niche construction: Examining long-term anthropogenic shaping of global species distributions.
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Castillo C
(2018)
Life goes on: Archaeobotanical investigations of diet and ritual at Angkor Thom, Cambodia (14th-15th centuries CE)
in The Holocene
Castillo C
(2018)
Hunter-gatherer specialization in the late Neolithic of southern Vietnam - The case of Rach Nui
in Quaternary International
Castillo C
(2018)
Social responses to climate change in Iron Age north-east Thailand: new archaeobotanical evidence
in Antiquity
Castillo C
(2016)
Rice, beans and trade crops on the early maritime Silk Route in Southeast Asia
in Antiquity
Castillo C
(2020)
The Khmer did not live by rice alone: Archaeobotanical investigations at Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm
in Archaeological Research in Asia
Castillo C.
(2017)
Development of cereal agriculture in Prehistoric Mainland Southeast Asia
in Man in India
Castillo CC
(2019)
). Preservation bias: Is rice over represented in the archaeological record? Open fire charring experiments of Asian crops illuminate
in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Castillo, C.C.
(2017)
Development of cereal agriculture in prehistoric mainland Southeast Asia
in Man in India
Choi JY
(2017)
The Rice Paradox: Multiple Origins but Single Domestication in Asian Rice.
in Molecular biology and evolution
Cobo Castillo C
(2018)
The archaeobotany of Khao Sek
in Archaeological Research in Asia
Crowther A
(2018)
Subsistence mosaics, forager-farmer interactions, and the transition to food production in eastern Africa
in Quaternary International
Crowther A
(2016)
Ancient crops provide first archaeological signature of the westward Austronesian expansion.
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Dal Martello R
(2018)
Early agriculture at the crossroads of China and Southeast Asia: Archaeobotanical evidence and radiocarbon dates from Baiyangcun, Yunnan
in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Denham T
(2020)
The domestication syndrome in vegetatively propagated field crops.
in Annals of botany
Flowers JM
(2019)
Cross-species hybridization and the origin of North African date palms.
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
French J
(2018)
Obituaries
in Archaeology International
Fuller D
(2020)
Transitions in Productivity: Rice Intensification from Domestication to Urbanisation
in Archaeology International
Fuller D
(2016)
Pathways of Rice Diversification across Asia
in Archaeology International
Fuller D
(2017)
The origins and early dispersal of horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum), a major crop of ancient India
in Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution
Fuller, D. Q.
(2018)
Beyond Stones and More Stones, Volume 2. Domestication of the Indian Subcontinent
Fuller, D. Q.
(2016)
The Routledge Handbook of Archaeology and Globalization
Fuller, D. Q.
(2018)
Beyond Stones and More Stones, Volume 2. Domestication of the Indian Subcontinent
Giosan L
(2017)
Short communication: Massive erosion in monsoonal central India linked to late Holocene land cover degradation
in Earth Surface Dynamics
Giosan L
(2018)
Neoglacial Climate Anomalies and the Harappan Metamorphosis
Gutaker RM
(2020)
Genomic history and ecology of the geographic spread of rice.
in Nature plants
Ishikawa R
(2020)
Genetic evaluation of domestication-related traits in rice: implications for the archaeobotany of rice origins
in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Ishikawa R
(2022)
A stepwise route to domesticate rice by controlling seed shattering and panicle shape.
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Kingwell-Banham E
(2018)
Spice and rice: pepper, cloves and everyday cereal foods at the ancient port of Mantai, Sri Lanka
in Antiquity
Kingwell-Banham E
(2018)
Archaeobotanical Investigations into Golbai Sasan and Gopalpur, Two Neolithic-Chalcolithic Settlements of Odisha
in Ancient Asia
Kingwell-Banham E
(2019)
Dry, rainfed or irrigated? Reevaluating the role and development of rice agriculture in Iron Age-Early Historic South India using archaeobotanical approaches.
in Archaeological and anthropological sciences
Murphy C
(2018)
Early agriculture in Sri Lanka: New Archaeobotanical analyses and radiocarbon dates from the early historic sites of Kirinda and Kantharodai (Kandarodai)
in Archaeological Research in Asia
Murphy C
(2017)
The Future is Long-term: past and current directions in environmental archaeology
in General Anthropology
Mörseburg A
(2016)
Multi-layered population structure in Island Southeast Asians.
in European journal of human genetics : EJHG
Naik S
(2019)
Archaeobotanical Studies at Suabarei, Puri District, Odisha, India
in Current Science
Oxenham M
(2018)
Between foraging and farming: strategic responses to the Holocene Thermal Maximum in Southeast Asia
in Antiquity
Peters J
(2022)
The biocultural origins and dispersal of domestic chickens
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Piper P
(2017)
The Neolithic settlement of Loc Giang on the Vam Co Dong River, southern Vietnam and its broader regional context
in Archaeological Research in Asia
Rahman M
(2020)
Agricultural systems in Bangladesh: the first archaeobotanical results from Early Historic Wari-Bateshwar and Early Medieval Vikrampura.
in Archaeological and anthropological sciences
Silva F
(2018)
A tale of two rice varieties: Modelling the prehistoric dispersals of japonica and proto- indica rices
in The Holocene
Song J
(2017)
A regional case in the development of agriculture and crop processing in northern China from the Neolithic to Bronze Age: archaeobotanical evidence from the Sushui River survey, Shanxi province
in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Stephens L
(2019)
Archaeological assessment reveals Earth's early transformation through land use.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Stevens CJ
(2016)
Between China and South Asia: A Middle Asian corridor of crop dispersal and agricultural innovation in the Bronze Age.
in The Holocene
| Description | We have established that the earliest rice cultivation in parts of Southeast Asia appear to be have cultivated as dry rice, i.e. based on rainfall rather than irrigation, and it was probably cultivated this way from ca. 2000 BC to 100 BC in Thailand and elsewhere. This differs from the earlier rice cultivation in the Yangtze basin in China, where rice was cultivated in wetland habitats going to back to at least 5000 BC. These wetland habitats are confirmed by our work on weed ecology from both archaeological seeds and phytoliths. Therefore somewhere in Southern China or norther Southeast Asia there was a transition to dry rice. After this time, during the Iron Age (final centuries BC to early centuries AD) there is a marked shift towards irrigated rice: this is indicated in a shift in the weed flora associated with rice cultivation. All of this early rice cultivation (in China and Southeast Asia) appears to be subspecies japonica. The long-grained subspecies indica, we hypothesize to have evolved in India from complex hybridization between introduced japonica and management of native wild rices, sometime between 4000 and 3500 years ago. What we can say with some certainly is that morphological rices that look like subspecies indica in Southeast Asia arrived more recently than 2000 years ago. Early rice cultivation in northern India also appears to have been rainfed, while wet forms of rice cultivation and dyr rice both spread throughout the Indian Peninsula at various times between 1500 and 500 BC. As wetland rice is a major source of methane, we currently infer that anthropogenic contribution to methane in the atmosphere that come from rice cultivation have increased markedly in the last 2000-3000 years, and earlier hypothesized sources anthropogenic methane are unlikely to come from rice. We are currently refining and testing this hypothesis, and expanding or archaeobotanical evidence for rice cultivation. |
| Exploitation Route | Our findings should be of wide use in archaeological studies throughout South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia. Our finds also can inform modelling of the genetic and phylogenetic history of rice, which is relevant to the preservation of genetic diversity, which in turn it relevant to breeding to improve sustainability of rice agriculture. Our findings should help to inform modelling of past human impacts on the environment, including greenhouse gas emissions from ancient agriculture. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | http://www.ucl.ac.uk/rice |
| Description | Findings have contributed to Radio 4 broadcasts, and a New Scientist Live lecture. These are listsed under Engagement activities.Our research has also lead to interviews on various topics to do with rice history, including on the origins of black for national public radio (USA) (https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/10/05/445316722/how-forbidden-black-rice-flourished-for-millennia). Project work by Cristina Castillo is referenced in the Kmher Times newspaper (Cambodia) (http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/26973/household-archaeology-at-angkor-wat/). |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2016 |
| Organisation | Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda |
| Department | Department of Archaeology and Ancient History |
| Country | India |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We carry out the primary archaeobotanical work, both in the field and laboratory work back in the UK. We also provide essential financial support for the fieldwork. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners undertake the direction of fieldwork, national permisssions for fieldwork and research on and storage of archaeological/artefactual archives within the country of research. |
| Impact | Archaeology and Archaeobotany. Outputs are included in publications list with relevant co-authorship. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2016 |
| Organisation | Peking University |
| Department | School of Archaeology and Museology |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We carry out the primary archaeobotanical work, both in the field and laboratory work back in the UK. We also provide essential financial support for the fieldwork. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners undertake the direction of fieldwork, national permisssions for fieldwork and research on and storage of archaeological/artefactual archives within the country of research. |
| Impact | Archaeology and Archaeobotany. Outputs are included in publications list with relevant co-authorship. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2016 |
| Organisation | Silpakorn University |
| Country | Thailand |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We carry out the primary archaeobotanical work, both in the field and laboratory work back in the UK. We also provide essential financial support for the fieldwork. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners undertake the direction of fieldwork, national permisssions for fieldwork and research on and storage of archaeological/artefactual archives within the country of research. |
| Impact | Archaeology and Archaeobotany. Outputs are included in publications list with relevant co-authorship. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2016 |
| Organisation | University of Lille |
| Department | CNRS-UMR-8199 |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We carry out the primary archaeobotanical work, both in the field and laboratory work back in the UK. We also provide essential financial support for the fieldwork. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners undertake the direction of fieldwork, national permisssions for fieldwork and research on and storage of archaeological/artefactual archives within the country of research. |
| Impact | Archaeology and Archaeobotany. Outputs are included in publications list with relevant co-authorship. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2016 |
| Organisation | University of Manila |
| Country | Philippines |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We carry out the primary archaeobotanical work, both in the field and laboratory work back in the UK. We also provide essential financial support for the fieldwork. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners undertake the direction of fieldwork, national permisssions for fieldwork and research on and storage of archaeological/artefactual archives within the country of research. |
| Impact | Archaeology and Archaeobotany. Outputs are included in publications list with relevant co-authorship. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2018 |
| Organisation | Australian National University (ANU) |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provide specialist support and efforts at archaeobotanical sampling programs in the field during excavations undertaken by our collaborators. We then take charge of specialist laboratory work, contributing reconstructions of subsistence and agriculture for each of these projects individually, and drawing together these data with our larger dataset for reconstructing the larger picture of past rice cultivation, how it has changed and how it has impacted regional and macro-regional environments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our project partners take charge of setting up and directing archaeological excavations, including necessary permits, etc. These collaborations in this list include new excavation efforts in Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, India, and Bangladesh. |
| Impact | Some of these have lead to publications already and many others are in the pipeline. Please see publication outputs for this award. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2018 |
| Organisation | Jahangirnagar University |
| Country | Bangladesh |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provide specialist support and efforts at archaeobotanical sampling programs in the field during excavations undertaken by our collaborators. We then take charge of specialist laboratory work, contributing reconstructions of subsistence and agriculture for each of these projects individually, and drawing together these data with our larger dataset for reconstructing the larger picture of past rice cultivation, how it has changed and how it has impacted regional and macro-regional environments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our project partners take charge of setting up and directing archaeological excavations, including necessary permits, etc. These collaborations in this list include new excavation efforts in Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, India, and Bangladesh. |
| Impact | Some of these have lead to publications already and many others are in the pipeline. Please see publication outputs for this award. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2018 |
| Organisation | James Cook University |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provide specialist support and efforts at archaeobotanical sampling programs in the field during excavations undertaken by our collaborators. We then take charge of specialist laboratory work, contributing reconstructions of subsistence and agriculture for each of these projects individually, and drawing together these data with our larger dataset for reconstructing the larger picture of past rice cultivation, how it has changed and how it has impacted regional and macro-regional environments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our project partners take charge of setting up and directing archaeological excavations, including necessary permits, etc. These collaborations in this list include new excavation efforts in Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, India, and Bangladesh. |
| Impact | Some of these have lead to publications already and many others are in the pipeline. Please see publication outputs for this award. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2018 |
| Organisation | National Taiwan University |
| Country | Taiwan, Province of China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provide specialist support and efforts at archaeobotanical sampling programs in the field during excavations undertaken by our collaborators. We then take charge of specialist laboratory work, contributing reconstructions of subsistence and agriculture for each of these projects individually, and drawing together these data with our larger dataset for reconstructing the larger picture of past rice cultivation, how it has changed and how it has impacted regional and macro-regional environments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our project partners take charge of setting up and directing archaeological excavations, including necessary permits, etc. These collaborations in this list include new excavation efforts in Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, India, and Bangladesh. |
| Impact | Some of these have lead to publications already and many others are in the pipeline. Please see publication outputs for this award. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2018 |
| Organisation | University of Hyderabad |
| Country | India |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provide specialist support and efforts at archaeobotanical sampling programs in the field during excavations undertaken by our collaborators. We then take charge of specialist laboratory work, contributing reconstructions of subsistence and agriculture for each of these projects individually, and drawing together these data with our larger dataset for reconstructing the larger picture of past rice cultivation, how it has changed and how it has impacted regional and macro-regional environments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our project partners take charge of setting up and directing archaeological excavations, including necessary permits, etc. These collaborations in this list include new excavation efforts in Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, India, and Bangladesh. |
| Impact | Some of these have lead to publications already and many others are in the pipeline. Please see publication outputs for this award. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2018 |
| Organisation | University of Oregon |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provide specialist support and efforts at archaeobotanical sampling programs in the field during excavations undertaken by our collaborators. We then take charge of specialist laboratory work, contributing reconstructions of subsistence and agriculture for each of these projects individually, and drawing together these data with our larger dataset for reconstructing the larger picture of past rice cultivation, how it has changed and how it has impacted regional and macro-regional environments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our project partners take charge of setting up and directing archaeological excavations, including necessary permits, etc. These collaborations in this list include new excavation efforts in Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, India, and Bangladesh. |
| Impact | Some of these have lead to publications already and many others are in the pipeline. Please see publication outputs for this award. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2018 |
| Organisation | University of Otago |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provide specialist support and efforts at archaeobotanical sampling programs in the field during excavations undertaken by our collaborators. We then take charge of specialist laboratory work, contributing reconstructions of subsistence and agriculture for each of these projects individually, and drawing together these data with our larger dataset for reconstructing the larger picture of past rice cultivation, how it has changed and how it has impacted regional and macro-regional environments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our project partners take charge of setting up and directing archaeological excavations, including necessary permits, etc. These collaborations in this list include new excavation efforts in Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, India, and Bangladesh. |
| Impact | Some of these have lead to publications already and many others are in the pipeline. Please see publication outputs for this award. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | New fieldwork collaborators since 2018 |
| Organisation | University of Pennsylvania |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We provide specialist support and efforts at archaeobotanical sampling programs in the field during excavations undertaken by our collaborators. We then take charge of specialist laboratory work, contributing reconstructions of subsistence and agriculture for each of these projects individually, and drawing together these data with our larger dataset for reconstructing the larger picture of past rice cultivation, how it has changed and how it has impacted regional and macro-regional environments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our project partners take charge of setting up and directing archaeological excavations, including necessary permits, etc. These collaborations in this list include new excavation efforts in Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, India, and Bangladesh. |
| Impact | Some of these have lead to publications already and many others are in the pipeline. Please see publication outputs for this award. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | "Comparing the agricultural pathways of India and Southwest China" IPPA presentation 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "Comparing the agricultural pathways of India and Southwest China: Similarities and differences between crops and agricultural practices in distinct geographies." Paper presented at the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association conference, Hue, Vietnam |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://carnetcase.hypotheses.org/4115 |
| Description | "Seeds of Civilization" lecture on the origins of agriculture, including rice, as part of the New Scientist live event 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Delivered a lecture at New Scientist Live at the ExCel London as part of the "Earth Stage" events, on 22 Sept. 2016. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://issuu.com/zestmedialondon/docs/new_scientist_september_2016 |
| Description | Discussion of research in Newspaper magazine (India) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Research results published in an Indian edited volume reported positively through a book review in a national newspaper in India (The Hindu) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/how-indians-became-farmers/artic... |
| Description | Domestication and archaeobotany lecture, Institute of Archaeology, Archaeological Survey of India, Delhi |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | "Comparing plant domestication: advances in method, theory and data collection", Lecturer and seminar delivered at the Institute of Archaeology, Archaeological Survey of India, the Red Fort, Delhi |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Interaction between prehistoric populations and environments in highland Pang Mapha, Northwest Thailand |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Research seminar given in London by Project Partner, Rasmi Shoocongdej (Silpakorn University, Thailand). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | International Workshop: Current Frontiers in the Archaeobotany of Rice (2018) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A workshop/symposium was held to examine and discuss current evidence and cutting edge approaches on the study of ancient rice, including domestication, dispersal and ancient ecologies. The symposium was hosted at Peking University. Participants came from across China (including Chinese Academy of Sciences [multiple departments], Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Sichuan University, Hunan Province Institute of Archaeology, Zhejiang Province Institute of Archaeology), Japan (Kobe University, Kyushu University, and Okayama University of Science), and UCL. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://www.ucl.ac.uk/chinese-heritage-archaeology/international-workshop-programme-current-frontiers... |
| Description | Lecture and seminar of rice project delivered at University of Hyderabad, India |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | "Rice domestication and the early Anthropocene", Lecture and Seminar delivered at University of Hyderabad, Dept of History, Hyderabad, Telengana, India. 11 Sept. 2017 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Lecture on archaeobotany of rice and the rice project, Bontany Dept., University of Baroda, Gujarat India |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | "The Origins and Archaeobotany of Rice", Lecture and Research seminar, Botany Department, M. S. University of Baroda, Gujarat, India. 1 Sept. 2017 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Oldest clove article - The Conversation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | General audience article on archaeobotanical finds from Mantai, Sri Lanka, for wider dissemination within media and general public |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://theconversation.com/worlds-oldest-clove-heres-what-our-find-in-sri-lanka-says-about-the-earl... |
| Description | Podcast Interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I was one of the main interviewees in the program "Rice: Saviour of the World, or Destroyer?" part of the Trading Places podcast series on global commodities trade and the history of those commodities. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0RjN8ikKMrorFdEAphK92W . First broadcast 20 Jan 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://open.spotify.com/episode/0RjN8ikKMrorFdEAphK92W |
| Description | Radio interview on the disapperance of "virgin" landscapes |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Was interviewed by Colombia W Radio (with translation into Spanish) on the issue of past human impacts on "virgin" landscapes. This followed on from my interview with the BBC 4 The Forum program. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.wradio.com.co/escucha/archivo_de_audio/la-desaparicion-de-los-paisajes-virgenes/20160611/... |
| Description | Rice in Southeast Asia - Past and Present (Workshop 2018) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This workshop was held at the Siridhorn Anthropology Centre in Bangkok and organized jointly with Silpakorn University (Bangkok) Dept. of Archaeology. The purpose of the workshop is to bring together researchers and students from various Southeast Asian countries in order to discuss issues relating to rice, agriculture, human-plant interactions and climate. The Early Rice Project group will disseminate results from previous years, but would also want to engage with local researchers from Southeast Asia or working in Southeast Asia. After two days of seminar presentations and discussion we had practical sessions on field sampling and laboratory work. Participants came from Thailand, VIetnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Australia, U.S.A., France and the U.K. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://www.ucl.ac.uk/rice/rice-southeast-asia-past-and-present-workshop-2018 |
| Description | Rice in Southeast Asia - Past and Present (Workshop 2018) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The purpose of the workshop was to bring together researchers and students from various Southeast Asian countries in order to discuss issues relating to rice, agriculture, human-plant interactions and climate. The Early Rice Project group will disseminate results from previous years, but would also want to engage with local researchers from Southeast Asia or working in Southeast Asia. Their expertise will enhance the knowledge base of all those working in Southeast Asia which will lead to an exchange of ideas and know-how, as well as future collaborations. The workshop also included practical courses aimed at local field archaeologists and students. This workshop was held in Bangkok, Thailand at the Princess Siridhorn Anthropology Centre and co-organized with colleagues from the Dept. of Archaeology, Silpakorn University, Bangkok. This event included participants from National Institutes of Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as universities across Thailand, Philippines and Taiwan. It's main beneficiaries were therefore users from ODA countries. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://www.ucl.ac.uk/rice/Conference_2018Jan |
| Description | Rice project lecture, Birbal Sahni Institute, Lucknow, India |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "Rice domestication and the early Anthropocene", Lecturer and discussion delivered at Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeo-Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. 11 Sept. 2017 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Taming Nature, BBC Radio 4 Forum program |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Was part of panel of 4 on a BBC Radio 4 program The Forum. Also aired on BBC world service. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07nmqts?imz_s=3jucj2vr5ov4agip0nhh9obn04 |
| Description | Workshop (in Vadodara, India) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This two day workshop addressed the evolution and impact of rice cultivation systems in South Asia, including issues relating to sustainability and long-term food security. Key questions include: • What are our current understandings of regional transitions to rice agriculture? • How important was rice compared to other food types (millets, wheat, gathered foods, fauna) and how did the varied importance of rice impact on human populations and social complexity in different regions? • How reliably can we differentiate between wet (irrigated/flooded) and dry (rainfed/upland) rice cultivation systems using archaeobotanical remains? • Does our rice archaeobotanical database change/improve models for how rice spread across South Asia? Participants includes archaeology practitioners, junior and senior, from across India, as well as some botanists and rice agronomists, and local Post-Graduate students in archaeology and botany from MS University Baroda. The workshop was also attended and reported on by local and national (Indian) press, e.g. The Hindu newspaper. The symposium, funded by NERC, is being held and organised by the UCL Institute of Archaeology and the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda Department of Archaeology and Ancient History. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/news/2019/mar/rice-workshop-2019-vadodara |