1996-97 - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

BSIP
Professor S. Ramaseshan delivering the Third BSIP Golden Jubilee Lecture.
Asia (2000-1700 BC) in the Harappan cultural context of Punjab. In written records garlic
is known for medicinal use in Codex Ebers, an Egyptian medical papyrus dating to about
1550 B.C.
The tree growthlclimate models for climatic reconstructions have been developed
and spring temperature and precipitation for the western Himalayan region for the past 818
years have been deduced using ringwidth chronology.
The sediments from Sat-Tal, Dharali and Chharka Tal, Uttarkashi, U.P., have been
dated to understand the depositional environment and climate during the Quaternary period
in the Himalaya. The base of Dharali sediments was dated as 1240 ± 90 yrs B.P. The C-14
date of Chharka Tal sediments at 3.65 - 3.75 m depth comes out to be 2090 ± 140 yrs B.P.
The samples from Konalur River Basin, Kodaikanal have been dated as 3360 ± 110 yrs B.P.
at the base (140-150 em) to work out the history of vegetation and climate in tropical
montane forest in south India.
Other Activities
During the year 117 research papers and 78 abstracts have been published and
lOa papers were submitted/or publication; 54 research papers were presented in the Natiollal
alld Internatiollal Conferences. This year, 16 members including scientists, technical and
administrative personnel were deputed in the conferences in the country and 12 scientists to