Could RIce Give Hints to the Settlement of Madagascar?

Archaeologists studying the distribution of ancient rice believe they may be close to solving one of the enduring mysteries of the ancient world - how people of South East Asian origin ended up living on the African island of Madagascar, 6,000 km away.

Teams from the universities of Bristol, Oxford and Queensland excavated 18 sites in Madagascar, Comoros, and along the East African coast and recovered over 2,500 seed remains. The researchers were able to show that typically South East Asian crops, such as rice and mung bean, are found on Madagascar and Comoros, while contemporary sites in Africa largely relied on indigenous crops.

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