Ethnobotany: the case of sugarcanes

Abstract

The belief related to plants is one of the human's earliest cultural patterns. In Southeast Asia - one of the biggest diverse biological centers and one of the ancient world's earliest agriculture centers, approaching and tracing back the original, local cultural elements based on Ethnobotany is necessary and reasonable. The reason of sugarcanes used as a featured element to trace back the surround cultural system is that they are a local plant and was domesticated so early (with bananas and rices), as well as they link intimately to agricultural activities and fertility rites and cults. Sugarcanes were domesticated more than 10.000 years ago. The process of popularizing sugarcanes from Southeast Asia to India and over the world is also the process that sugarcanes proved cultural elements formed through their dense presence in the traditional rituals of many different cultural spaces. The similarities of these cultural elements are evidence of the unification and variety of the Southeast Asia culture. Sugarcanes were also the ambassador spreading the cultural elements from Southeast Asia to India through their roles in the seasonal activities of the native people, the fertility rites and cults, and spiritual ceremonies, ect. before the Indian were influenced by the Aryan's religions and philosophy of rescue.