AGU- American Geophysical Union
AGU Chapman Conference on Climates, Past Landscapes, and Civilization, 21-25 March, 2011, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
10:15-11:00 AM
P-9. Was the Ghaggar River Mighty Saraswati during Mature
Harappan Period? H. Maemoku; Y. Shitaoka; T. Nagatomo; H. Yagi
10:15-11:00 AM
P-10. Late Holocene geomorphic coastal changes affecting the
mutation of bay-facing Harappan sites of the Indus civilization,
Gujarat, India T. Miyauchi; H. Maemoku; H. Matsuoka; T. Osoda; J.S.
Kharakwal
10:15-11:00 AM
P-12. Hydrological response to the Toba super-volcano ash fallout in
the Middle Son Valley, Western India: palaeo-environmental and
archaeological implications. E. Gatti; A. Durant; C. Oppenheimer; P.
Gibbard
10:15-11:00 AM
P-37. Holocene vegetation – climate and evidence of early Rice
cultivation in Southern Tripura, India based on Palynological analysis.
N. Mehrotra; A. Bhattacharayya; S.K. Shah
10:15-11:00 AM
P-38. The role of hydro-isostasy for Holocene sea-level changes and
coastal evolution in the southern Indus region, Gujarat, India J.
Okuno; H. Maemoku
10:15-11:00 AM
P-42. Humans, environment and the decline of the Indus
Civilisation:Investigating relationships between Land, Water and
Settlement on the
plains of NW India
R.N. Singh; C.A. Petrie; C.I. French
10:15-11:00 AM
P-49. Holocene Indus River Pathways Inferred from Nd Isotopes and
the relationship between the Fluvial Landscape and the Harappans S.
VanLaningham; P.D. Clift; L. Giosan; A. Alizai; J. Durcan; M.V.
Macklin; G. Duller
10:15-11:00 AM
P-55. Mid-Late Holocene Asian monsoon reconstruction using a
sediment core obtained from Lake Rara, western Nepal A. Nakamura;
Y. Yokoyama; H. Maemoku; H. Yagi; M. Okamura; H. Matsuoka; N.
Miyake; T. Osada; H. Teramura; T. Yamada; D.P. Adhikari; V.
Dangol; H. Matsuzaki
10:15-11:00 AM
P-57. Vegetation changes since the middle Holocene around Lake
Rara, western Nepal N. Miyake; A. Momohara; A. Nakamura; M.
Okamura; H. Matsuoka; H. Maemoku; H. Yagi; V. Dangol; T. Osada
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
2:15 PM-3:30 PM, Sunset Room (Eldorado Hotel & Spa), South Asia
2:15 PM-3:30 PM
Humans, environment and the decline of the Indus Civilisation:
investigating relationships between Land, Water and Settlement on
the plains of NW India C. Petrie; R.N. Singh; C.A. French; S. Neogi;
V. Pawar; D. Parikh
2:30-2:45 PM
Landscape Dynamics in the Indus Basin: From Harappa to the Flood
of 2010 L. Giosan; P.D. Clift
2:45-3:00 PM
The 4.2kya Abrupt Climatic Event and the Indus Civilization R.H.
Meadow; A. Patel
3:00-3:15 PM
Large-scale river channel shifts on the western Indo-Gangetic Plains:
Implications for Harappan civilisation S. Gupta; R. Sinha; S. Ajit; A.
Carter; P. Mason; A. Murray; G. Yadav; J. Buylaert; K. Thomsen; M.
Ferrat
3:15-3:30 PM
"Environmental change and the Indus civilization": a report on the
major outcome of our RIHN project (2007-2011) T. Osada
4:30 PM-6:00 PM, Sunset Room (Eldorado Hotel & Spa), South Asia II
4:30 PM-6:00 PM
Post-Glacial Coastal Margin Productivity and the Emergence of
Complex Societies (INVITED) J.W. Day; J. Gunn; W. Folan; A. Yanez
-Arancibia; B. Horton
5:15-5:30 PM
Human Geography and the Impact of Climate Change in the Upper
Indus Valley: Convergent Data from Stable Isotopes, CORONA
Imagery, and the Paleobotanical Record R.P. Wright; J.
Schuldenrein; S. Weber; C. Hritz
5:30-5:45 PM
Evidence for Holocene climatic variability in polygenetic soils of the
Indo-Gangetic Plains: Impact on ancient human settlement P.
Srivastava
On the Sensitivity of the Global Terrestrial Biosphere to Human-
Induced Soil Degradation Over the Holocene, with Implications for
Sustainability and Societal Change J.O. Kaplan; K.M. Krumhardt
Final ID: P-15
Holocene Palaeoclimate History of the Plains of NW India Inferred from Palaeo-Lake Riwasa
Y. Dixit; 1; D. A. Hodell; 1; R. Sinha; 3; C. Petrie; 2;
1. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
2. Department of Archeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
3. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Body: The Indus Civilization flourished from ~4600 to ~3900 yrs BP across a range of environmental zones that now
span the borders of present-day India and Pakistan. Its major urban centres started to decline from ~3900 BP, but the
precise reasons for this are still unclear. Climate and/or environmental change has been advocated as one of the
major factors, but there is no consensus on this issue.However, extant paleoclimatic reconstructions have typically
used proxy data obtained from areas that lie beyond the geographic limits of the Indus Civilisation, and it is
questionable whether such data can be used to reconstruct the paleoclimate of the subcontinent or of any of the
environmental zones inhabited by Indus Civilisation populations. The plains of NW India lie across the boundary
between arid and semi-arid zones and the archaeological research has suggested that this was one of the most
intensively settled regions in the periods before, during and particularly after the floret of the Indus Civilisation. The
precise climatological and environmental conditions affecting this region during the mid-late Holocene remain largely
unknown, and to remedy this, we have dated and analysed sediment samples obtained from cores and pit sections
from a paleo-lake bed at Riwasa in Haryana plains, India.
Riwasa is a dry lake bed that once existed in a very steep rainfall gradient (200-600mm) near some of the important
archaeological sites in this region. When the lake contained water, its hydrology was likely highly sensitive to changes
in the balance of precipitation and evaporation. It is thus well-suited for a paleoclimatic study in relation to the cultural
evolution of the Indus Civilisation. Below the top soil, the upper ~3 meters of this lake bed contains silty clay,
carbonate-rich sediments with abundant freshwater gastropod and ostracod shells. The calcium carbonate content
and the (> 63micron) particle concentration indicates the presence of a massive hard ground underlying the top one
metre of the sediemnts. Split cores have been analysed using an XRF core scanner and high-resolution sampling has
been carried out on two cores and an exposed standing section through the Riwasa lake sequence. Samples of
ostracods and gastropods have been used for AMS radiocarbon dating and δ18O and δ13C isotope analysis. Results
have confirmed the existence of a wet phase during the early Holocene but have also indicated that there was great
variability in oxygen isotope ratios of individual ostracod valves within a single sample. Such large variability in shell
isotopic composition suggests that there were frequent lake level fluctuations caused by flooding during wet periods
and evaporative enrichment during dry times, typical of a playa lake. The Riwasa record constitutes the first isotope
proxy record of local paleoclimate change from the plains of NW India.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Yama Dixit, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, CB2 1TP, <a href='mailto:
yd234@cam.ac.uk?subject=agu-cc11cp: Question regarding P-17'>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID: P-42
Humans, environment and the decline of the Indus Civilisation:Investigating relationships between Land, Water and
Settlement on the
plains of NW India
R. N. Singh; 1, 2; C. A. Petrie; 2, 1; C. I. French; 2, 1;
1. Department of AIHC & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
2. Department of Archaeology , University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
Body: It is generally believed that a range of factors played a part in the collapse of the urban phase of the Indus
civilisation and the subsequent reappearance of urbanism in the 1st millennium BC. There has been considerable
debate about the role of the hydrology of the plains of NW India in these processes. However, researchers are faced
with a range ofenvironmental and climatic parameters such as shifting rivers, aridification, changing rainfall patterns
etcetera, that may or may not have played a role, and at present, much of the evidence is equivocal.
There has also been relatively limited attention to the relationship between the landscape and human settlement.
The multi-disciplinary Land, Water and Settlement project involves scholars from a range of institutes in India and the
UK, and it has been incorporated a range of archaeological and earth science based investigations on the plains of
NW India since 2007. This paper will introduce the project and review the archaeological investigations that have been
carried out between 2007 and 2010. This includes remote sensing of archaeological sites based on the existing
databases of archaeological sites, reconnaissance of Harappan and later period sites in western Uttar Pradesh (UP)
and Haryana, excavations at Alamgirpur, two sites close to Masudpur, and the site of Burj, as well as detailed surveys
of the hinterland of the urban site of Rakhigarhi and the large town site of Banawali.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Ravindra N. Singh, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, 221005, <a href='mailto: ravi_bhu1@rediffmail.com?subject=agucc11cp:
Question regarding P-42'>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID:
Humans, environment and the decline of the Indus Civilisation: investigating relationships between Land, Water and
Settlement on the plains of NW India
C. Petrie; 1; R. N. Singh; 2, 1; C. A. French; 1; S. Neogi; 1; V. Pawar; 3; D. Parikh; 1;
1. Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
2. Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
3. Archaeology, University of Rohtak, Rohtak, India.
Body: It is generally believed that a range of factors contributed the collapse of the urban phase of the Indus
civilisation in the 2nd millennium BC. There has been considerable debate about the role of the hydrology of the plains
of NW India in these processes. However, researchers are faced with a range of environmental and climatic
parameters such as shifting rivers, aridification, changing rainfall patterns etcetera, that may or may not have played a
role, and at present, much of the evidence is equivocal. There has also been relatively limited attention to the
relationship between the landscape of human settlement and human response to that landscape.
The multi-disciplinary Land, Water and Settlement project involves scholars from institutes in India and the UK, and
has been integrating a range of archaeological and earth science based investigations on the plains of NW India since
2007. This includes remote sensing of archaeological sites based on the existing databases of archaeological sites,
reconnaissance of Harappan and later period sites in western Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Haryana, excavations at
several archaeological sites and detailed archaeological and geoarchaeological surveys of the hinterland of the urban
site of Rakhigarhi and the large town site of Banawali.
These results of these surveys and excavations have revealed important evidence for developing settlement
dynamics, landscape formation and hydrology that are critical for our understanding of the rise, decline and
transformation of the Indus Civilisation and will be presented.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Cameron Petrie, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, CB2 3DZ, <a href='mailto:
cap59@cam.ac.uk?subject=agu-cc11cp: Question regarding '>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID:
Landscape Dynamics in the Indus Basin: From Harappa to the Flood of 2010
L. Giosan; 1; P. D. Clift; 2;
1. Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States.
2. School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
Body: Abundance of sediment relative to the water discharged by the Indus has been the most important control on
the evolution of the Indus alluvial plain during the last 10,000 years. During this time civilizations surged and faded on
the Indus alluvial plain interacting with the landscape differently depending on the location in the Indus basin, whether
in Punjab, Cholistan, Haryana or Sindh. While its large Himalayan tributaries incised their floodplains in Punjab, the
Indus alluvial plain in Sindh has been largely aggradational throughout the Holocene. Consequently, the Indus has
repeatedly built stacking mega-alluvial fan-ridges along the entire length of its lower alluvial plain and switched its
delta from east to west. In contrast to the cannibalization of Punjabi plain sediments through incision by Himalayan
rivers, deposition continued until mid Holocene along the proposed course of the mythical Saraswati River, the
Ghaggar-Hakra valley, which appears to have dried up or have been captured before significant incision occurred. We
discuss possible scenarios of human-landscape interactions over the last millennia based on new geomorphic,
stratigraphic and geochemical data collected in the Indus region, as well as peninsular India during recent projects in
the region. Climatic modulation of the water discharge and sediment load on the Indus and its tributaries favoring a
highly dynamic landscape emerges as crucial for the development as well as slow disintegration of the Harappan
Civilization from ca. 5500 to 3000 years BP. Today, in contrast, almost no water makes it to the Arabian Sea coast
and sediment is trapped in reservoirs and along the river as the floodplain is isolated from the river by artificial levees.
This new pattern of sediment redistribution inland and the inherited inland fan morphology combines with the
increased density of human occupation on a previously unstable dynamic landscape to increase the vulnerability to
large floods.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Liviu Giosan, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA, 02543-0000, <a href='mailto: lgiosan@whoi.edu?subject=agucc11cp:
Question regarding '>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID:
The 4.2kya Abrupt Climatic Event and the Indus Civilization
R. H. Meadow; 1; A. Patel; 1;
1. Peabody Museum and Dept of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.
Body: A 4.2kya calBP abrupt climatic event is attested in proxy records from localities across the world. The proposal
of Weiss and others (e.g., Weiss et al. 1973, Staubwasser & Weiss 2006) that this event severely affected ancient
civilizations has established a research agenda throughout Eurasia for the past 2 decades. Results from these
investigations have led to a refinement in our understanding of cultural responses to rapid climatic change. Habitat
tracking is increasingly seen as a major factor in the rearrangement of peoples and political structures, especially
across regions with significant environmental diversity that include zones that are only marginally productive for
agriculture and pastoralism.
One region that remains intractable as far as our understanding of human settlement systems and their relation to
changing climate, weather, and river regimes is that of the greater Indus Valley. In spite of the efforts of Madella &
Fuller (2006) and Prasad & Enzel (2006) to bring some order to the chaotic paleoclimatic and paleoecological
evidence, progress in our understanding of the interactions between human societies and their changing landscapes
is severely hampered by a scarcity of high quality data, both environmental and cultural. The period of the Indus
(Harappan) Civilization, that includes the 4.2kya event, is rather poorly understood in detail.
From the first recognition in the 1920s that there existed an Indus Civilization, it has been a cultural phenomenon often conceptualized as a monolith both spatially and temporally. As this paper underlines, it was no such thing. There was marked regional variability as well as important changes through time. These are well attested where there have been excavations that have stressed the importance of radiocarbon dating the remains of short-lived organics from secure archaeological contexts. At ancient settlements such as Harappa in Punjab (Pakistan), where there are long occupational sequences, it is increasingly clear that past excavations overwhelmingly recovered remains from ca. 4.2 and 3.9kya and that relatively little is known about the first 3–4 centuries of what was a 700 year dynamic and regionally differentiated cultural phenomenon.
Because little attention has been paid to change in material culture during the period of the Indus Civilization, it has
been difficult to break down the results of settlement surveys into when during the ca. 4.6–3.9kya period a site was occupied. Thus it is impossible to monitor changing settlement in Harappan landscapes over time and to evaluate the effects of the 4.2kya climatic event on the contemporary peoples of northwestern South Asia. Recent excavations
suggest that there were significant changes beginning at that time, possibly with habitat tracking into the betterbuffered
areas of the Indus alluvium from surrounding environmentally marginal zones. Indeed, major sites such as
Harappa appear to have reached their greatest size beginning at about 4.2kya.
Madella, M. & D.Q. Fuller, 2006. Quaternary Science Reviews 25: 1283-1301.
Prasad, S. & Y. Enzel, 2006. Quaternary Research 66: 442-453.
Staubwasser, M. & H. Weiss, 2006. Quaternary Research 66: 372-387.
Weiss, H. et al., 1993. Science 291: 609-610.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Richard H. Meadow, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, 02138, <a href='mailto:
meadow@fas.harvard.edu?subject=agu-cc11cp: Question regarding '>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID:
Large-scale river channel shifts on the western Indo-Gangetic Plains: Implications for Harappan civilisation
S. Gupta; 1; R. Sinha; 2; S. Ajit; 2; A. Carter; 4; P. Mason; 1; A. Murray; 5; G. Yadav; 3; J. Buylaert; 5; K.
Thomsen; 5; M. Ferrat; 1;
1. Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
2. Indian Institute for Technology - Kanpur, Kanpur, India.
3. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
4. Birkbeck College, Univ. of London, London, United Kingdom.
5. Nordic Laboratory for Luminescence Dating, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark.
Body: The distribution of settlements in ancient societies is commonly linked to the courses of large river systems. The
Bronze Age Harappan civilisation is no exception with the major sites of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro located along the
Indus river system. However, the largest collection of Harappan archaeological sites are associated with the
postulated surface trace of a large palaeo-river channel in the drainage divide tract between the Ganges and Indus
river systems, where no major river currently flows. It has been proposed that this palaeo-channel was occupied by a
major river sourced in the Himalaya, and that this river provided water resources to sustain the extensive Harappan
sites located along its ancient course. The abrupt abandonment of urban centres here at ~3500 BP has been
explained by explanations such as river diversions and abrupt monsoon weakening. These hypotheses have
remained untested because the stratigraphy and chronology of the postulated palaeochannel has never been
determined. Here we present an integrated study of the Ghaggar-Hakra palaeochannel based on detailed analysis in
NW India. We use a combination of satellite image analysis, subsurface geophysical analysis and detailed sediment
coring to analyse the large-scale planform geometry, and detailed sedimentary and stratigraphic nature of the
postulated palaeochannel in NW India. In particular we focus our analysis on a tract of the proposed channel adjacent
to the major Harappan urban centre of Kalibangan in Rajastan State. We present an investigation of satellite imagery
data which when coupled with resistivity sounding data reveal the presence of a thick, and extensive sandbody in the
subsurface beneath the postulated surface trace observed on satellite imagery. Extensive drilling into this sandbody
reveals its sedimentology and stratigraphy, and confirms that it does indeed represent a fluvial sand package up to 30
m thick, comprising multiple stacked channel packages. We use optically stimulated luminescence dating techniques
to develop an age model for the stratigraphic succession, thus providing an independent link to the presence of
Harappan archaeological sites along the margins of the palaeochannel. To understand the sources of the Ghaggar
palaeochannel in NW India we use U-Pb ages of detrital zircon grains to determine links with modern river sediments
and possible bedrock sources in the Himalaya. This is coupled with rare-earth element analysis of bulk sediment
samples which provides an alternative constraint on sediment provenance. We will consider how changes in the
course of the palaeochannel may have influenced settlement patterns of the Harappan civilisation in present day NW
India. Our studies here will permit correlations to be made with similar studies being conducted in other sectors of the
Harappan palaeoenvironmental realm.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Sanjeev Gupta, London, United Kingdom, SW7 2AZ, <a href='mailto: s.gupta@imperial.ac.uk?subject=agu-cc11cp:
Question regarding '>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID:
"Environmental change and the Indus civilization": a report on the major outcome of our RIHN project (2007-2011)
T. Osada; 1;
1. Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan.
Body: I have been conducting the Indus project, officially titled "Environmental change and the Indus civilization", at
the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN), Kyoto, Japan, since 2007.
This research project examines the social character and environmental context of the Indus civilization, and attempts
to determine how they are related to the civilization's short life and rapid decline. In particular, we aim to evaluate the
impact of environmental change on the subsistence economy and trade network that sustained the Indus civilization's
urban system. Our research will also provide data on the long-term processes of climate change in South Asia. Such
data will help us develop historical perspective on, and practical understanding of, contemporary environmental
problems in the region.
Our project is divided into five research groups: (1) the Palaeo-Environmental Research Group (PERG); (2) the
Material Culture Research Group (MCRG); (3) the Subsistence System Research Group (SSRG); (4) the Inherited
Culture Research Group (ICRG); and (5) DNA Research Group (DRG). They integrate cultural and biological data
obtained from archaeological excavations and other field activities, palaeo-environmental data obtained from satellite
imagery and field study, and original accounts obtained from ancient texts. Important subjects of study investigated so
far include: ancient climate change; avulsion of the Ghaggar River; the palaeocoastline of Gujarat; and palaeo-seismic
activity.
In this conference I will first draw an outline of our project and present a brief summary of the major outcome of our
research. Following my introductory presentation, other members of our team will discuss the specific research results
in more detail.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Toshiki Osada, Kyoto, Japan, 603-8047, <a href='mailto: osada@chikyu.ac.jp?subject=agu-cc11cp: Question
regarding '>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID:
Post-Glacial Coastal Margin Productivity and the Emergence of Complex Societies (INVITED)
J. W. Day; 1; J. Gunn; 2; W. Folan; 3; A. Yanez-Arancibia; 4; B. Horton; 5;
1. Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State Univeristy, Baton Rouge, LA, United States.
2. Anthropology, University of North Carolin, Greensboro, NC, United States.
3. Centro de Investigaciones Historicas y Sociales, University of Campeche, Campeche, Campeche, Mexico.
4. Natural Resources, Institute of Ecology, Xalapa, Veracruz , Mexico.
5. Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphiq, PA, United States.
Body: As relative sea level stabilized following deglaciation after c. 7,000 BP, coastal margin primary and secondary
productivity increased by an order of magnitude or more. Animals in the coastal margin were readily available to
humans as high quality protein and polyunsaturated fats, necessary components of anatomically modern human
nutrition. Within about 500 years of relative sea level stabilization, coastal margins were occupied by Neolithic
agricultural and fishing villages. Population densities increased greatly, social ranking appeared, and monumental
architecture requiring the mobilization of labor forces were constructed a further half millennium later. Our thesis is
that the temporal and spatial pattern and magnitude of increased coastal margin food availability was critical to the
evolution of early complex societies. The time between population expansion and the establishment of complex
societies varied. Our investigation indicates that this variability was related to the seasonality of local environments
and the change from mid to late Holocene global climate.
Contact Information: Contact Information
John W. Day, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, 70803, <a href='mailto: johnday@lsu.edu?subject=agu-cc11cp:
Question regarding '>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID:
Human Geography and the Impact of Climate Change in the Upper Indus Valley: Convergent Data from Stable
Isotopes, CORONA Imagery, and the Paleobotanical Record
R. P. Wright; 1; J. Schuldenrein; 2; S. Weber; 3; C. Hritz; 4;
1. Anthropology, New York University, New York City, NY, United States.
2. President, Geoarchaeology Research Associates, Riverdale, NY, United States.
3. Anthropology, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, United States.
4. Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States.
Body: New evidence from a regional study of settlements on the Beas River, a now dry riverbed near the major Indus
center of Harappa, complements our earlier publications on climate change and the human ecology of Late Holocene
environmental dynamics. These new data include stable isotope analyses, Corona declassified imagery, land use/soil
maps, and agricultural cropping patterns. In our earlier publications, we linked global and local climatic cycles of the
late third, early second millennia BC, to a period of settlement decline and even abandonment. While global proxy
data for the region remain inconsistent with respect to the timing of early and later Holocene conditions and show
monsoon weakening at 3500 BC and some differences in early and late Holocene conditions, other indicators that
include pollen studies from lakes in northwestern India and relative thicknesses of turbidite varves from coastal cores
argue for enhanced winter precipitation during the Indus period with a spike in the record at 2000-1750 cal BC. Initial
correlations between settlement geography and climatic signals were based upon deep testing and radiometric dating
calibrated to soil formation chronologies, depositional histories of the Beas floodplains and terraces, and the cultural
sequences of the Indus mounds. These integrated sequences were then tied to a baseline climatic model (Wright et
al, 2008) that considered regional circulation systems and localized variability at gauging stations in the vicinity of the
primary sites. These data underscored a trend to relatively stable and moister climates at the onset of settlement in
the region, accelerations of channel migration and realignments of the Beas during the peak period of urbanization,
and drastic realignments in precipitation and river discharge in the later stages of the civilization. Threshold transitions
in the precipitation balance caused disruptions of the drainage net and hydrography that would have produced
destabilization of landscapes tied to relocation of populations and abandonments of previously sustained settlements.
In this study we consolidate the results of additional methodologies to test the settlement/environmental interpretations
that were initially generated by first run field work, sequence chronologies, geomorphic analysis and climatic models.
New data sets include higher resolution of relict channel configurations (observable on Corona declassified imagery
and land use/soil maps), shifts in C4 to C3 stable isotope ratios attesting to transitions in vegetation covers (consistent
with the passage from semi-arid to arid climatic phases), and paleobotanical successions based on cropping patterns
edfsdfand proportions of summer and winter crops. Convergent global and local trends in the data sets bolster
arguments for the impacts of climatic dynamics in the realignment of settlements in the Indus civilization during later
stages of occupation and the importance of modeling the complexity of climate change, adaptive systems and human
responses.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Rita P. Wright, New York City, New York, USA, 10003, <a href='mailto: rita.wright@nyu.edu?subject=agu-cc11cp:
Question regarding '>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID:
Evidence for Holocene climatic variability in polygenetic soils of the Indo-Gangetic Plains: Impact on ancient human
settlement
P. Srivastava; 1;
1. Geology, Delhi University, Delhi, India.
Body: Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) constitute one of the largest fluvial plains of the world covering more than 68 M ha
cultivable soils that provides major food security for India. Soils of the IGP are spread from west to east with extremely
arid conditions in Rajasthan to per-humid conditions in West Bengal. Soil-geomorphic studies indicate that formation
of soils in IGP began about 13.5 ka ago with varying degree of development on different geomorphic surfaces.
Majority of these soils occur on older geomorphic surfaces (> 2.5 ka) and are polygenetic in nature with a distinct
record of wet and dry phases of Holocene. Development of key pedogenic features such as clay coatings, pedogenic
carbonates, and clay minerals of these soils suggest degradation of previous and formation new pedofeatures due to
change in pedogenesis.
Modern civilization is totally dependent on soil because it supports growth of plants and provides food and nutrition.
Tracking the historical development of the IGP suggests that transition from hunting to agriculture began around 10 ka
and since then relationship of soils with the ancient human settlement has become increasingly stronger because
human dependence upon soil has become more direct and more obvious. The climate has not been stable over the
last 10 ka and its variability became a major force impacting water-soil resources that directly controlled agricultural
activities of IGP. The adverse climatic conditions resulted poor crop production and the collapse of the ancient
civilisation and/or forcing their migration towards better water-soil resources. In IGP there are well preserved records
of ancient human settlement from Indus region that thrived during early Holocene (10 ka-7 ka) in humid conditions due
to strong southwest monsoon conditions. This finds support from soils of the adjoining regions from Rajasthan that are
characterised by thick illuvial clay coatings representing wet phase of early Holocene. In contrast, late Holocene (4 ka-
3.5 ka) is marked by weakening of the southwest monsoon that caused widespread draught and fall of the Indus
civilization due to extremely dry conditions and forcing their migration towards Gangetic Plains in the east. The strong
climatic gradient from west to east with increasing monsoonal rainfall suggests that despite the drier conditions in the
Indus region, the Gangetic Plains in the east had better water-soil resources required for anthropogenic activity. This
is supported by stronger soil-development in Gangetic Plains indicating higher rainfall comparison with the west. This
must have led the migration of Indus people to the east towards Gangetic Plains.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Pankaj Srivastava, Delhi, India, 110 007, <a href='mailto: pankajps@gmail.com?subject=agu-cc11cp: Question
regarding '>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID: P-9
Was the Ghaggar River Mighty Saraswati during Mature Harappan Period?
H. Maemoku; 1; Y. Shitaoka; 2; T. Nagatomo; 3; H. Yagi; 4;
1. Graduate School of Education, Hiroshima University, Higashi-hiroshima, Japan.
2. Institute for Geothermal Sciences, Kyoto University, Beppu, Japan.
3. Nara University of Education, Nara, Japan.
4. Faculty of Education,Art and Science, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan.
Body: It is well known that huge urban civilization, such as Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, flourished in the Indus Valley
between 2500 -1900 BCE, however most cities were abandoned during the following post-urban Harappan period.
Many reasons for the declination of Harappan culture have been estimated since 19th century, for example invasion of
hostile ethnic group, huge earthquake, devastative flooding, climate change etc. "The Lost Saraswati" hypothesis
would be one of major estimations for the declination. The mighty Saraswati River described in the "Rig veda" as a
powerful goddess of large river, is believed to have disappeared after glorious period of Harappan culture. One of the
leading candidates for present remnant of lost Saraswati is the Ghaggar-Hakra River that originates in the Lower and
Sub Himalayas of northwestern India. It flows westerly in the Punjab plain and disappears into Cholisthan deseart as a
dried river bed. Naruse(1974) and Yashipal et al.(1980) said the Ghaggar had used to connect with glacial area in the
Higher Himalayas through the Sutlej or Yamuna River course, however been disconnected by piracy due to crustal
uplift or rejuvenation of adjacent river. We have tried to examine the hypothesis from the view point of chronology of
flood plains and sand dunes distributed along the Ghaggar River. First we compared the size of present flood plain of
large rivers originated in glacial area with that of the Ghaggar, and got to know that the size of flood plain became
wider in proportion to the volume of annual river flows. It means that present size of flood plain of the Ghaggar can be
formed by present volume of annual river flow. Next we measured the oldest age of sand dunes limiting the size of
present flood plain by using OSL dating method. Finally we resulted that the Ghaggar was not the mighty Saraswati
during mature Harappan period because sand dunes on either side of the Ghaggar had been formed before that.
URL: http://www.chikyu.ac.jp/indus/Indus_project/index.html
Contact Information: Contact Information
Hideaki Maemoku, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan, 7398524, <a href='mailto: maemoku@hiroshima-u.ac.jp?subject=agucc11cp:
Question regarding P-11'>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID: P-10
Late Holocene geomorphic coastal changes affecting the mutation of bay-facing Harappan sites of the Indus
civilization, Gujarat, India
T. Miyauchi; 1; H. Maemoku; 2; H. Matsuoka; 3; T. Osoda; 4; J. S. Kharakwal; 5;
1. Earth Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
2. Geography, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
3. Applied Sciences, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.
4. Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan.
5. Archaeology, Rajasthan Studies, Udaipur, India.
Body: The Indus civilization is one of the four great ancient civilizations, which developed around the Indus River and
along the northern coastal area of Arabian Sea ca.8500 to 3300 years ago. This age is geologically called Holocene
which is characterized by the glacio-eustatic sea level change after the last glacial termination. Therefore, the mature
of bay-facing Harappan sites was significantly influenced by vertical and horizontal shifts of coastlines. We inspected
late Quaternary geomorphic developments related to the relative sea level change around two representative sites,
Lothal site and Kanmer site in Gujarat, India, analyzing geological data and Corona satellite images together. The
obtained results indicated that the ancient Lothal town developed on the low-lying alluvial flood plain which appeared
on tidal flats through about 4 m of relative sea level fall after Holocene transgression peak, acquiring shipping by
water. Yet the successive sea level fall around 2 m likely led to impossibility of shipping, therefore the Lothal might
rapidly decline as a port town. Most of about 6 m relative sea level fall in late Holocene is probably originated from
hydro-isostatic crustal uplift, and it controlled geomorphic evolution and vicissitudes of bay-facing Harappan sites.The
Lothal site (ca.2500-1900 B.C.) is in the Cambay coastal plain which is characterized by geomorphic configuration of
present and emerged tidal mud flats locally overlain by flood plains. Two late Quaternary marine terraces (MT1 and
MT2) composed of emerged tidal flats are recognizably elevated in 15m and 10m. MT1 is assigned to MIS5 stage and
MT2 to MIS1 stage (Prasad and Gupta, 1999). The settlement town, 12 m in elevation, is exactly founded on the
artificial mound of flood plain over MT2-forming marine sediments. This geomorphological condition and the dockyard
adjacent to the town imply that the ancient Lothal town had located and developed with marine trading by shipping
transportation, using the surrounding channel system. As the sea level had relatively fallen several meters afterward,
shipping itself had become impossible even at high tide and the town likely declined. The Kanmer site several
thousand years B.C. is situated on the cuesta mound (32m in elevation) about 7 km inland from the Little Rann which
is a brackish marsh, especially invaded by sea water in summer wet season. Even though mid Holocene
transgression reached to inland further than the present coastline of the Rann, shipping transportation was probably
difficult due to relative steep river profile and horizontal distance of about 5 km between Kanmer site and the mid
Holocene coastline. The land and shipping transportation was probably used together. As the Rann was reduced by
relative successive marine regression, the distance by land transpiration increased and shipping trade decayed
gradually. Thus, ancient Kanmer town might have been finally abandoned.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Takahiro Miyauchi, Chiba, Japan, 263-8522, <a href='mailto: tmiya@faculty.chiba-u.jp?subject=agu-cc11cp: Question
regarding P-12'>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID: P-38
The role of hydro-isostasy for Holocene sea-level changes and coastal evolution in the southern Indus region, Gujarat,
India
J. Okuno; 1; H. Maemoku; 2;
1. National Institute of Polar Research, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo, Japan.
2. Department of Education, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima, Japan.
Body: The sea-level rise of about 120 m during the last deglaciation had a significant impact on the development of
prehistoric human civilization, and the effect of subsequent crustal movement also significantly constrained the
development of prehistoric human society. However, the geological environment along the southern coast of the Indus
region is the result of complex interactions between sea-level change and tectonic crustal deformation in Quaternary.
On the other hand, studies of sea-level change in Holocene show major differences among curves for different
locations in the world punctuating the importance of regional factors in shaping sea-level change. Local sea-level
curves reflect global eustatic changes, regional isostatic adjustments of the crust to changing ice and ocean volumes
and regional, tectonically controlled, crustal movement. In this study, we evaluate the relative contribution of each of
these factors to the Holocene sea-level change along the coast of Gujarat, India, and reconstruct the transition of the
palaeobathymetry in this region in order to consider the relationship between sea-level and the Indus civilization.
In relatively tectonically stable areas far from former ice sheets the primary reason for fluctuations of sea-level through
the last deglaciation has been the exchange of mass between the ice sheets and the oceans; as the Late Pleistocene
ice sheets melted, water was added to the oceans and global rise in sea-level occurred. This is the eustatic
component. Furthermore, in response to the changing surface loads of ice and water, the crust responds by uplift
under the formerly ice-loaded areas, and by subsidence where the ocean load increases. Thus the total sea-level
change is the sum of these eustatic and isostatic contributions. If we can simulate crustal deformation in association
with glacio-hydro isostasy accurately, the theoretical relative sea-level curves are obtained. High-resolution numerical
models that represent the spatial and temporal variability of sea-level change and shoreline evolution have been
developed over recent years that give good representations of sea-level change and which have been used to
separate the tectonic contributions from the eustatic and isostatic factors.
Our prediction that hydro-isostatic contribution of sea-level for about 7000 years at the Gujarat coast is about 5 m.
This value is consistent with the archaeological and geomorphologic evidences along the coast of Gulf of Cambay.
According to predictions of sea-level curve in this region, spatial distribution of sea-level high stand in Holocene is
dependent on the viscosity model and Holocene eustatic sea-level change significantly. These resluts indicate that the
comparison between the model sea-level curve and the archaeological observations also enable to conclude that the
viscosity structure and eustatic sea-level change for the last 7000 years.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Jun'ichi Okuno, Tachikawa-shi, Japan, 190-8518, <a href='mailto: okuno@nipr.ac.jp?subject=agu-cc11cp: Question
regarding P-38'>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID: P-55
Mid-Late Holocene Asian monsoon reconstruction using a sediment core obtained from Lake Rara, western Nepal
A. Nakamura; 1, 2; Y. Yokoyama; 2, 1; H. Maemoku; 3; H. Yagi; 4; M. Okamura; 5; H. Matsuoka; 5; N. Miyake; 5
; T. Osada; 6; H. Teramura; 6; T. Yamada; 7; D. P. Adhikari; 8; V. Dangol; 8; H. Matsuzaki; 9;
1. Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
2. Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.
3. Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
4. Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan.
5. Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.
6. National Institute for Humanitiy and Nature, Kyoto, Japan.
7. Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
8. Tribhuvan University, Kathomandu, Nepal.
9. MALT, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Body: The Asian monsoon is an important component of the Earth's climate system to understand regional and global
climate dynamics. Geological proxies have been indicating of gradual decrease of its intensities through the Holocene
that was attributed as changes in insolation in the summer due to the Earth's orbital parameters. Although overall
pictures of monsoon reconstructions are consistent among proxies that is stronger summer monsoon at mid-Holocene
than the present, the detailed structures are still different from each other. In particular, millennial to centennial
structures of monsoon intensities record during the Holocene is still under debate (eg., Overpeck et al., 2007).
Therefore understanding mechanisms of monsoon required high-resolution paleoclimate records, and hence we
present a new sediment core record from Lake Rara, western Nepal (29°32′N, 82°05′E).
Lake Rara is located at 3,000m above sea level and has a maximum water depth of 168m. Summer climate is
controlled by the moist southeasterly monsoon that derives most of the annual precipitation in the region. Thus the
lake is one of the ideal locations to reconstruct monsoon variability using various proxies in the sediment. We studied past monsoon intensities using major elements variations in the sediments. The age model of the sediment core is based on 14C dating on leaves using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). Concentrations of major elements were measured by X-ray Fluorescence Analysis (XRF). We then reconstructed temporal variations of the chemical weathering index (CIA) in sediment source area and the degree of bottom-water redox conditions (MnO/Al2O3) respectively proxies of precipitations and wind strengths at the site. The paper will present evolution and variability of the Asian monsoon during the Mid- to Late- Holocene.
Overpeck, J. T. and Cole, J. E. (2007): Lessons from a distant monsoon. Nature, 445, 18, 270-271
Contact Information: Contact Information
Atsunori Nakamura, Hongo, Japan, 113-0033, <a href='mailto: a-nakamura@aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp?subject=agu-cc11cp:
Question regarding P-55'>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID: P-57
Vegetation changes since the middle Holocene around Lake Rara, western Nepal
N. Miyake; 1; A. Momohara; 2; A. Nakamura; 3; M. Okamura; 1; H. Matsuoka; 1; H. Maemoku; 4; H. Yagi; 5; V.
Dangol; 6; T. Osada; 7;
1. Faculty of Science, Kochi University, Kochi, Kochi, Japan.
2. Chiba University, Matsudo, Japan.
3. University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
4. Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan.
5. Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan.
6. Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
7. National Institutes for the Humanities, Kyoto, Japan.
Body: Vegetation changes since the middle Holocene were investigated using pollen and plant macrofossil records in
a core sediment (Rara09-4) (29.5347° N, 82.0933° E and 3,000 m a.s.l.) from Lake Rara in western Nepal. The pollen
record was divided into two local pollen assemblage zones (I and II), even though it was co-dominated by Quercus
and Pinus, with Abies, Picea and Betula pollen throughout the core. In zone I (ca. 6,000 to 3,000 yr B.P.), Quercus
pollen had high values of more than 50% of total tree pollen. On the other hand, zone II (ca. 3,000 yr B.P. to present)
is characterized by the decrease in Quercus pollen and increase in Pinus pollen. Most of fossil Quercus and Pinus
pollen grains were Q. semecarpifolia and P. wallichiana types, based on their SEM identification. Fossil leaves of Q.
semecarpifolia type were founded frequently in the both zones. Macroscopic charcoal influx increased progressively in
zone I. Based on these fossil records and spatial patterns of forest vegetation in the present, during the mid to late
Holocene, Q. semecarpifolia and P. wallichiana predominated in the forests mainly on the south-facing slopes,
whereas especially on the north-facing slopes evergreen conifer forests consisting of Abies and Picea with Betula
were established. The decline of Q. semecarpifolia and dominance of P. wallichiana in zone I may have been caused
by changes in fire regimes associated with combined effects of climate changes and intensified land-use activities
around the lake.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Nao Miyake, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture, Japan, 780-8520, <a href='mailto: nmiyake@kochi-u.ac.jp?subject=agucc11cp:
Question regarding P-57'>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID: P-49
Holocene Indus River Pathways Inferred from Nd Isotopes and the relationship between the Fluvial Landscape and
the Harappans
S. VanLaningham; 1; P. D. Clift; 2; L. Giosan; 3; A. Alizai; 2; J. Durcan; 4; M. V. Macklin; 4; G. Duller; 4;
1. School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, United States.
2. School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, ABERDEEN, United Kingdom.
3. Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, MA, United
States.
4. Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom.
Body: Abandoned river channels in the Indus floodplain seen from remote sensing imagery are associated with the
most dense cluster of ancient Harappan Civilization sites. This spatial linkage suggests the Bronze Age civilization
lived on the banks of a substantial river system that once flowed parallel and to the east of the present-day Indus
River. This postulated river fits the description of the mythical Saraswati River mentioned in the Hindu Rig Veda text,
although the location of Saraswati remains contentious. It is also not known why the Harappan civilization vanished
from the Indus Valley ~4 ka. Thus our research group seeks to determine if the now failed drainages in the Indus
floodplain were active at the time of the Harappan occupation and whether drainage reorganization or climate
changes led to the Harappan demise. This work specifically addresses what the sources of sediment to the
abandoned river were using bulk sediment Nd isotopes (εNd), which are excellent Himalayan source tracers.
Preliminary data from the Marrot core site (29.21°N , 72.34°E) indicate that sediments from the abandoned river were
initially derived from the Lesser Himalayas (possibly via a larger Sutlej River system) between 10 ka and 5 ka (εNd = -
16). Neodymium isotopic composition shifted to less negative εNd values some time between 5 ka and 3 ka (εNd = -
13), suggesting reduced input from the Lesser Himalayas or increased input from Greater Himalaya/Kohistan Arc
sources. Dune sands with εNd = -11 are also another possible source of less negative fluvial εNd values (zircon U-Pb
data support this). Because the change in Nd isotopes is small (but detectable), it suggests drainage capture is an
unlikely culprit.These data are more consistent with the hypothesis that reduction in the Asian Monsoon led to a
decrease in river discharge (and erosion of the Lesser Himalayas). Incorporation of dune sands is also consistent with
aridification and reduced riverine flow in the eastern side of the Indus basin. Thus, the Harappans may have
abandoned the lower Indus floodplain for other areas closer to water sources, consistent with previous archaeological
findings. Overall, more detailed analyses using Nd isotopes will provide important constraints on the role of monsoon
change vs. drainage reorganization and the Harappan exit from the Indus floodplain.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Sam VanLaningham, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, 99775, <a href='mailto: svanlaningham@alaska.edu?subject=agucc11cp:
Question regarding P-49'>click here</a> to send an email
Final ID: P-37
Holocene vegetation – climate and evidence of early Rice cultivation in Southern Tripura, India based on Palynological
analysis.
N. Mehrotra; 1, 2; A. Bhattacharayya; 2; S. K. Shah; 2;
1. Geology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States.
2. Quaternary Research Lab, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow, 0, India.
Body: Climatic reconstruction based on various proxies would be useful to understand long-term climatic changes and
their relationships with other events. Studies related to proxies such as pollen from dated subsurface sediments of
Holocene not only aid an advantage of reconstructing climate based on past vegetation but also provide insight to
mark the advent of agriculture in the region on the basis of size variation among wild and cultivated grasses, ratio of
arboreal and non arboreal pollen grains and other marker pollen grains indicator of cultivation. For the present study
palynological analysis was carried out from southernmost part of the Tripura, India in the radiocarbon dated 1.20 m
deep sediment profile. The pollen grain of mixed assemblage of angiosperm, ferns and conifers are recovered from
this profile are good in number, except at the bottom of profile sample which is almost devoid of pollen grains. Based
on the representation of the pollen taxa recovered, vegetation and extent of human invasion vis-à-vis climate from
southern Tripura was examined during the time span of last 7000- 4000 yr. B.P. The results shows that during this
time span, the area is occupied by moist deciduous forest under warm humid climate with intermittent changes in
precipitation regime i.e. comparatively low humidity around 6.8 kyr B.P. and 3.7-3.8 kyr B.P.
Evidence of land clearance and agricultural aspect in this region during this time period was also examined. While a
clear indication of human impact in the documentation remains equivocal, the presence of large sized grass pollen
over 50μ may be indication of the rice cultivation and its presence from 5.7 kyr. B.P. suggests cultivation of rice at this region from mid Holocene and thus the human impact in the region, which would have been one of the primary
reasons for ecological changes in this region.
Contact Information: Contact Information
Nivedita Mehrotra, Kent, Ohio, USA, 44240, <a href='mailto: nmehrot1@kent.edu?subject=agu-cc11cp: Question
regarding P-37'>click here</a> to send an email
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