Late Pleistocene Human used Rice in Sri Lanka: Phytolith Investigation of the Deposits at Fahien Rockshelter

Abstract

Phytolith microscopic plant silicate bodies evidence suggests that anatomically modern humans lived at Fahien rock shelterin the south-western Sri Lanka intensively used wild rice species e g Oryza cf nivara in association with lowland rain forests from 48 35ka 48 350 calyrs BP The intensive use of wild rice could be a local innovation