Researchers who carried out the study say yes. “We found one whole seed and three to four broken seeds,’ says A Pokharia of Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleoethnobotany, Lucknow. The study was carried out in Tokwa, an archaeologically important site in Mirzapur district. The seeds had heavy carbon coating. Based on radiocarbon dates of other Neolithic sites in the region, the author concluded that the seeds belonged to the 3rd-2nd century bc. The study was published in Current Science (Vol 94, No 2).

There are other studies that say that the Portuguese introduced custard apples in the East in the 16th century ad. Pokharia refutes such claims.

“The remains of custard apple have been recorded from other sites like Sanghol in Punjab during the Kushana Period (100–300 ad) and Raja-Nala ka tila in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh, in the Iron Age (740 bc).’

He cites carvings of custard apple trees on stupas built in 1st-2nd century bc in Bharhut and Mathura, also in Uttar Pradesh. “Such examples prove the fruit plant was brought here much before Columbus discovered Americas,’ he adds.

David L Lentz, a scientist at University of Cincinnati’s Department of Biological Sciences, says the claim cannot be established on the basis of just one seed. “The author found only one seed and it is not in good condition. The site too is not well dated. The custard apple seed was not directly dated. It seems the time period of the seed in question is not secure,’ he said.

Pokharia rejects another theory that the seeds may have been brought by migratory birds, saying,

“The seeds are too large to be brought by birds; only humans could have brought it. Besides, there is no evidence of migratory American birds.’

Anupama K of the French Institute in Pondicherry says more evidence is required to establish links between Asia and America.