Acta Anthropologica Sinica ›› 2022, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (05): 899-912.doi: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2021.0081

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

An analysis of agricultural activities in Nanyang Basin during the Pre-Qin period from the plant remains in the Wenkangoudong locality

XIA Xiumin1,2(), WANG Lizhi1, TAO Dawei3, DU Wei4, JIN Songan3, ZHANG Jian3,5, WU Yan6,7()   

  1. 1. National Museum of China, Beijing 100006
    2. Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing 100101
    3. School of History, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001
    4. Archaeological Site Park of Dahecun, Zhengzhou 450045
    5. School of Chinese Language and Literature, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001
    6. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044
    7. CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing 100044
  • Received:2020-11-23 Revised:2021-08-06 Online:2022-10-15 Published:2022-10-13
  • Contact: WU Yan E-mail:zhengdaxiaxiumin@126.com;wuyan@ivpp.ac.cn

Abstract:

Nanyang basin is a geographical transition zone and cultural intersection area and its archaeological sites show some typical characteristics of the cultrue integration of South and North China. The Wenkangoudong locality of Western Zhou dynasty is an important site of the late Longshan Culture period in Nanyang basin. We attempt to discuss the planting patterns and characteristics of agricultural production comprehensively by analysising the macroremains and phytolith combining with the previous botanical evidence and dating results. The results show that the people of Wenkangoudong locality lived on dry farming by planting millets, accompanied by small amounts of rice and wheat during the late Longshan period. However, the latter crops played a relatively weak role in the lives of the ancient people. During the Western Zhou period, the dry-farming production mode was continued, and the planting scale was slightly expanded. No carbonized rice was discovered, but the analysis of phytolith reveals that rice still had been planted. Due to the political influence of Zhou dynasty and the demand of territory expansion, wheat gradually occupied a position in the daily lives of the ancient people. In general, the excavation and archaeobotanical research of Wenkangoudong locality could provide new materials for revealing the cultural features of the pre-Qin period sites in the southwestern Henan Province and their cultural exchange with the central plain sites.

Key words: Nanyang Basin, Wenkangoudong locality, Agricultural activity, Millets, Wheat

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