Cotton is a highly prized product, and its trade has been known since Antiquity. But the geographical origin of cotton found in archaeological contexts remains difficult to pinpoint. A study published in the journal Scientific Reports on 11 January 2021 by researchers from the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, the CNRS and the CEA shows that the strontium isotopic composition of cotton can be used to trace trade during Antiquity. The analyses, which relate to ancient cotton unearthed in south-east Arabia, indicate a non-local origin, probably from the Indian sub-continent. These results attest to the early spread of the plant, which was subsequently cultivated extensively in local oases, and eventually throughout the world.
The Arabian Peninsula lies at the crossroads of several geographical regions: East Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Near East and the Mediterranean. Thanks to this strategic position, Arabia, through its inhabitants, navigators and merchants, has contributed to the spread of animal and plant species since prehistoric times. However, the extensive links with the Indian and African commercial spheres make it difficult to reconstruct the routes taken by plants in Arabia in ancient times. Cotton (Gossypium sp.), a plant of tropical and subtropical origin, appeared at several sites on the Arabian Peninsula at the turn of the 1st millennium BC, and its spread in this arid, non-native environment is a marker of the dynamics of exchange at this crucial time in human history. Two key questions remain unanswered: 1) the provenance, i.e. the local or imported origin of the cotton 2) the precise moment of its arrival and spread.
The ancient site of Mleiha, located in the Oman Peninsula (now the United Arab Emirates), is a rare and significant case where rich archaeobotanical remains (cotton seeds and fabrics) dating from the late pre-Islamic period (2nd-3rd century CE) were very well preserved in a building fortified by fire. To better understand the trade and/or early production of cotton in this region, strontium isotopes in cotton remains are being used as a powerful tracer. The results of a study published in Scientific Reports on 11 January 2021 indicate that these remains did not come from the Oman peninsula, but more likely from more distant regions, the north-west coast of India being an isotopically compatible origin. This hypothesis is supported by archaeological and textual evidence of the existence of cotton production centres in certain Indo-Pakistani regions during Antiquity. These independent clusters of evidence show that long-distance maritime trade between the Oman peninsula and western India was well established by this time. The presence of these non-local textiles and the seeds found on site also suggests that cotton growing in the neighbouring oases was not yet common practice, or was at least in its infancy.
Source : CNRS/INEE news of 15 janvier 2021
