Origin and History of Agriculture

The archaeobotanical investigations coupled with palynological investigations can be employed in depicting the origin and history of agriculture. The events of the earliest cultivation by man could be depicted through pollen analysis of lake and swamp deposits. Such studies in Kashmir at Haigam lake and Anchar lake trace the beginnings of agriculture in the valley to 4000 years B.P. and at about the same time undoubted evidence of agriculture is available from archaeological excavations. The earliest evidence of agriculture in India goes back to 7000–8000 years B.P., in the pollen analysis of the salt lakes of Rajasthan, the evidence of rice cultivation at Koldihawa, and barley cultivation at Mahagara. According to this evidence, Kashmir falls some 3,000 to 4,000 years behind in cultivation practices. Taking the cropping pattern and progressive development of agriculture into consideration, a significant evolutionary trend is indicated as: single cropping, double cropping, and mixed cropping.