A History of Agriculture in India v1.c19.s11.1

v1.c19.s11.1

Here, a reference may be made to the use of wood by the Harappans. The oldest record of the use of wood, in the Indian region, is from Harappa proper and from the sites of Harappan culture in Gujarat. At Harappa, deodar (*Cedrus deodara*) and rosewood (*Dalbergia latifolia*) were used for coffins. Other wood remains found at Harappa were of a wooden mortar (*Ziziphus mauritiana*; syn. *Z. jujuba*) for pounding grains. The Harappans in Kutch used timber of *Tamarix*, *Albizzia*, teak, *Pterocarpus santalinus*, *Soymida febrifuga* and *Adina cordifolia*, possibly for agricultural implements, carts, axles, axe handles, oil presses, grain-pounders, turnery, tanning and dyeing and for fuel (Savithri, 1976). The choice of these woods for specific purposes shows not only the knowledge of where the trees grow but also of the characteristic qualities of the woods used. The charred timbers recovered from Lothal in Gujarat were *Acacia* sp., *Albizzia* sp., *Tectona grandis*, *Adina cordifolia* and *Soymida febrifuga*.