Plant remains unearthed at the Donghulin site in Beijing: discussion on results of flotation

Abstract A number of charred plant seeds were recovered from the Donghulin site by means of flotation. The site is located in suburban Beijing and dates from 11,000 to 9000 BP. A total of 14 charred grains of foxtail millet have been collected and identified as of the domesticated species (Setaria italica) according to morphological analysis. One grain of broomcorn millet was also identified. These are the earliest domesticated millet grains recovered by flotation, providing crucial archaeological evidence for understanding the timing, locations, and processes of millet domestication. Moreover, the charred seeds of Setaria viridis provide important clues for exploring the wild ancestral plants of foxtail millet and the domestication process. The results of flotation at the Donghulin site are important for understanding the origins of dryland agriculture in North China, which was predominated by millet farming.

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Phytolith Analysis for Differentiating between Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) and Green Foxtail (Setaria viridis)

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0019726 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. e19726 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Jianping Zhang ◽

Houyuan Lu ◽

Naiqin Wu ◽

Xiaoyan Yang ◽

Xianmin Diao

Keyword(s):

Foxtail Millet ◽

Setaria Italica ◽

Setaria Viridis ◽

Phytolith Analysis ◽

Green Foxtail

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Phytolith Analysis for the Discrimination of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) and Green Foxtail (Setaria viridis)

Quaternary International ◽

10.1016/j.quaint.2012.08.2070 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 279-280 ◽

pp. 558

Author(s):

Jianping Zhang

Keyword(s):

Foxtail Millet ◽

Setaria Italica ◽

Setaria Viridis ◽

Phytolith Analysis ◽

Green Foxtail

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Population growth rate of Setaria viridis in the absence of herbicide: resulting yield loss in foxtail millet Setaria italica

Weed Research ◽

10.1111/j.1365-3180.2010.00774.x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 50 (3) ◽

pp. 228-234 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

T WANG ◽

Y SHI ◽

Y LI ◽

Y SONG ◽

H DARMENCY

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Population Growth ◽

Population Growth Rate ◽

Yield Loss ◽

Foxtail Millet ◽

Setaria Italica ◽

Setaria Viridis

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Paleodietary Analysis of Humans in Guanzhong Basin, Shaanxi Province Since 8000 BP

Radiocarbon ◽

10.1017/rdc.2017.66 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 59 (5) ◽

pp. 1435-1446 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Peng Cheng ◽

Weijian Zhou ◽

Wei Gong ◽

YiZhi Zhu ◽

Yachang Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Foxtail Millet ◽

Shaanxi Province ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Broomcorn Millet ◽

Plant Remains ◽

Guanzhong Basin ◽

Main Food Source ◽

Dry Farming ◽

Fundamental Shift ◽

Isotopic Measurements

AbstractWe identified human paleodietary changes from inhabitants of the Guanzhong basin since 8000 BP, based on published carbon and nitrogen isotopic measurements on bones, fauna and plant remains. We also directly measured 14C ages, δ13C and δ15N values from bones unearthed at the Zhouyuan site, west of Guanzhong, in order to reconstruct paleodietary changes of the ancient inhabitants. We found that during the Laoguantai period, animal foods were the main source of nourishment with supplementary plant-derived foods. After this period, plant-derived foods became the main food source, with supplementary animal sources. The development of dry farming led to increased consumption of foxtail millet and broomcorn millet. This trend persisted and marked a fundamental shift from hunting, gathering, and fishing to farming and animal domestication. The dietary trends of the ancient inhabitants also show pronounced regional differences through time. The use of domestic animals was proportionally higher in the eastern part of the Guanzhong region, while wild animals were more common in the west.

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A Critical Appraisal of Ancient Agricultural Genesis in China Emphasis on Rice, Millet and Mixed Farming: An Archaeobotanical Endeavor

Asian Journal of Advances in Agricultural Research ◽

10.9734/ajaar/2019/v11i130041 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Muhammad Azam Sameer

Keyword(s):

North China ◽

Yellow River ◽

Foxtail Millet ◽

Archaeological Sites ◽

Mixed Farming ◽

Ancient Agriculture ◽

Neolithic Age ◽

Broomcorn Millet ◽

History Of ◽

The Neolithic Age

China has been noted as one of the three sovereign hubs of the origin of ancient agriculture. Specifically, millets like foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) and rice (Oryza sativa), were and are imperative crops for the ancient as well as present Chinese people. In this regard, rice and millets are valuable crops in the history of China. It is also a fact that rice and millets belong to the important river such as Yellow River (North China) and Yangtze River (South China) which are the ancient centers of Chinese civilization as well. It is also unanimously accepted that rice and millets were domesticated at the same time within a solitary expanse in China but in different regions. The available archaeobotanical record also suggests the emergence and development of the mixed farming of millets and rice in different regions in China during the Neolithic age. This paper illustrates the archaeobotanical perspectives and retrospectives of the important crops such as foxtail millet, broomcorn millet, and rice. With this, the imperative archaeological sites, ancient agricultural activities, agricultural philosophy, crop dispersal, and further archaeobotanical scenarios since Pre-historic age in China are also the chief themes of this manuscript.

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