Conclusions
Based on the data interpretation using proxies viz . palynofacies and grain size distribution, the following conclusions are drawn:-
  1. The grain size shows unimodal to bimodal distribution with negative skewness and platykurtic shows varying degree of mixing along with fine grained material in the entire traverse of flood plain in the Gomati River, Lucknow, India.
  2. The fate of the palynofacies in the sediments is witnessed and recorded in the findings of sub-urban, urban fringe, and urban flood plains in the Gomati River with various proportions of phytoclasts, palynomorphs, and amorphous organic matter.
  3. We were able to distinguish the underlying processes of degradation and deterioration of palynofacies in urban and sub-urban reaches of flood plain deposits, which are caused either by natural or anthropogenic sources, based on the ratio of degraded charcoal, burnt charcoal, cuticle, and tracheid.
  4. In archaeological and archaeobotanical investigations, the urban, urban fringe, and sub-urban coupling of palynofacies and grain size can be used to develop an understanding of human-vegetation connections in unfossiliferous layers.
  5. While palynofacies of the Lucknow district’s Gomati River are highly variable and reflect the role of flow regime, channel pattern, and biomass that allow selective preference and differential settling of organic matter, other processes such as wind, tide, waves, flow conditions, hydrodynamic changes, monsoon (ISM), burial efficiency, preservation, and taphonomy are also likely to be at play.