An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s6.5

v1.c9.s6.5

Likewise, domestication of plants would have been effected through various stages of development. Duckham and Mansfield, 1970, suggested that factors like climate, soil and relief exert the greatest influence on farming systems. The ability to exploit the potential resources at site would depend upon the available technology. Soil-working implements of Neolithic assemblages (picks, digging sticks, etc.) restricted the range of effectively workable soils to the light to medium loams. Heavy alluvial soils, with a higher natural fertility than loams, would have been subject to seasonal or permanent flooding. The location of a Neolithic site, especially in respect of soils, is thus conditioned by a combination of two factors: tractability and fertility. The soils around Neolithic sites are therefore to be studied both from the palaeoeconomic and agronomic point of view.