Agriculture in the Karakum: An archaeobotanical analysis from Togolok 1, southern Turkmenistan (ca. 2300–1700 B.C.)

Southern Central Asia witnessed widespread expansion in urbanism and exchange, between roughly 2200 1500 B.C., fostering a new cultural florescence, sometimes referred to as the Greater Khorasan Civilization. Decades of detailed archeological investigation have focused on development urban settlements, political systems, inter-regional exchange within across broader region, but little is known about agricultural systems that supported these changes. In this paper, we present archaeobotanical results material recovered from Togolok 1, proto-urban settlement along Murghab River alluvial fan located southeastern Turkmenistan. This macrobotanical assemblage dates late 3rd - early 2nd millennia time associated with important transformations southern Asia. We demonstrate people at site were cultivating consuming diverse range crops including, barley, wheat, legumes, grapes, possibly plums apples or pears. This, together culture zooarchaeological evidence, suggest regionally adapted mixed agropastoral economy. The findings 1 contribute ongoing discussion dietary choices, human/landscape interactions, adaptation ecosystems prehistoric