| Pollen studies of archaeological sites in South Asia are still in their infancy, and palaeobotanical information for the Indus Civilization is generally poor. Despite the lack of palaeoenvironmental studies, theories concerning climatic change during the Harappan period are prevalent. The pollen data from Balakot, a Pre-Harappan and Harappan age site in Las Bela, Pakistan, has yielded sufficient pollen for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. A comparison between the fossil pollen spectra and a series of modern pollen samples from Las Bela suggests that occupation during both cultural periods existed under essentially modern climatic conditions. Local environmental differences between the modern and prehistoric periods, as well as an indication of the local agricultural economy, are evidenced in the pollen data. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of selected pollen grains provides an additional refinement of the environmental and economic history of Balakot. |
