Science China Earth Sciences

, Volume 59, Issue 9, pp 1779–1790 | Cite as

The emergence, development and regional differences of mixed farming of rice and millet in the upper and middle Huai River Valley, China

  • YuZhang Yang
  • ZhiJie Cheng
  • WeiYa Li
  • Ling Yao
  • ZhanYang Li
  • WuHong Luo
  • ZengJian Yuan
  • Juan Zhang
  • JuZhong Zhang
Research Paper Special Topic: Climate changes and human adaptation
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Mixed farming of rice and millet is one of the basic agricultural modes in the upper and middle Huai River Valley (HRV). According to the latest data, this agricultural mode appeared during the middle and late Peiligang Culture (7.8–7.0 ka BP) in the upper HRV, and then became a common subsistence economy in the end of the Neolithic (5.0–4.0 ka BP) in both the upper and middle HRV. However, it is still not clear how this mixed farming developed in the upper HRV after its occurrence, nor are the regional differences in the development of mixed farming between the upper and middle HRV during the Neolithic completely understood. In this paper, flotation and starch analyses were conducted on samples from eight archaeological sites in the upper and middle HRV. The results indicate that the mixed farming of rice and millet first appeared in the later phase of the middle Neolithic in the regions of the Peiligang Culture, then developed quite rapidly in the late Neolithic (6.8–5.0 ka BP), finally becoming the main subsistence economy at the end of the Neolithic in the upper HRV. However, there are obvious differences in the emergence and development of agriculture between the middle and upper HRV. Rice farming was the only agricultural system during the middle Neolithic, lasting until the end of the Neolithic, when mixed farming appeared in the middle HRV. Furthermore, although mixed farming appeared in both the upper and middle HRV during the end of the Neolithic, the roles of rice, foxtail millet and broomcorn millet in the subsistence economy were not the same. In general, millet was more widely cultivated than rice in the upper HRV, but rice occupied the same or a slightly more prominent position in the middle HRV at the end of the Neolithic. These results are significant for understanding the process of agricultural development and transformation, as well as human adaptation to climatic and cultural variability duringthe Neolithic.

Keywords

Upper and middle Huai River Neolithic Mixed farming of rice and millet Agricultural development and transformation Regional differences 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Anhui Provincial Institute of Culture Relics and Archaeology, Bengbu Municipal Museum. 2008. Excavation Report on Neolithic Site-Shuangdun, Bengbu City (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. 684Google Scholar
  2. Bar-Yosef O. 2011. Climatic fluctuations and early farming in West and East Asia. Current Anthropol, 52 (Suppl. 4): 175–193CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. Chen W W, Zhang J Z, Cai Q F. 2012. Analysis of the plant macro-remains excavated from Guchengzhai walled city, Xinmi, Henan Province (in Chinese). Huaxia Archaeol, (1): 54–62Google Scholar
  4. Cheng Z J, Yang Y Z, Zhang J Z, Fang F, Yu J, Chen B B, Chen C F, Zhang H, Gong X C. 2016. Research on charred plant remains from the Xiaosungang site in Huainan city, Anhui Province (in Chinese). Quat Sci, 36: 302–311Google Scholar
  5. Childe V G. 1951. Man Makes Himself. New York: New American Library. 191Google Scholar
  6. Department of archeology in Peking University, Zhumadian Municipal Institution of Cultural Relics Protection. 1998. Zhumadian Yangzhuang- Cultural Relics and Environmental Information in the Upper Huai River During the Middle Holocene (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. 91Google Scholar
  7. Dong Z. 2013. Analysis of starch grains on the surface of stone artifacts from Shuangdun and Shishanzi sites. Master Dissertatios (in Chinese). Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China. 66Google Scholar
  8. Dong Z, Zhang J Z, Yang Y Z, Yao L, Li W Y, Jia Q Y. 2014. Starch grain analysis reveals the utilization of plant food resources at Shishanzi site,Suixi County, Anhui Province (in Chinese). Quat Sci, 34: 114–125Google Scholar
  9. Gao G R. 2005. The academic signification of prehistoric culture sequence in Huai River area (in Chinese). J Zhengzhou Univ-Philosophy Soc Sci Ed, 38: 5–7Google Scholar
  10. Ge W, Liu L, Jin Z Y. 2010. Morphological analyses on starch granules of five grass species and their significance for archaeology (in Chinese). Quat Sci, 30: 377–384Google Scholar
  11. Guan G Q. 2000. Identification of Weed Seeds (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. 358Google Scholar
  12. Guo Q X. 1998. Identification of Weed Seeds with Colored Pictures (in Chinese). Beijing: China Agriculture Press. 176Google Scholar
  13. Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. 1987. The excavation report of Shigu site, Changge County (in Chinese). Huaxia Archaeol, (1): 3–125Google Scholar
  14. Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. 1995. The Shuiquan site of Peiligang culture, Jiaxian, Henan Province (in Chinese). Acta Archaeol Sin, (1): 39–77Google Scholar
  15. Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. 1999. Jiahu in Wuyang County (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. 883–896Google Scholar
  16. Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Department for the History of Science and Scientific Archaeology in University of Science and technology of China. 2015. Jiahu in Wuyang County II (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. 743Google Scholar
  17. Huang R, Zhu C, Zheng C G. 2005. Distribution of Neolithic sites and environmental change in Huaihe River Basin, Anhui Province (in Chinese). Acta Geograph Sin, 60: 742–750Google Scholar
  18. Li Z Y L Y N, Kato Shinji. 2014. Observations of microblade core technologies from level 5 of the Xuchang Man site, Lingjing (in Chinese). Acta Anthropolog Sin, 33: 285–303Google Scholar
  19. Lin L G, Gan H Y, Yan L. 2014. The site report of the Shunshanji in Sihong, Jiangsu (in Chinese). Acta Archaeol Sin, (4): 519–562Google Scholar
  20. Liu L, Field J, Fullagar R, Bestel S, Chen X C, Ma X L. 2010. What did grinding stones grind? New light on Early Neolithic subsistence economy in the Middle Yellow River Valley, China. Antiquity, 84: 816–833CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Liu L, Bestel S, Shi J, Song Y, Chen X. 2013. Paleolithic human exploitation of plant foods during the last glacial maximum in North China. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 110: 5380–5385CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Liu L, Ma S, Cui J. 2014b. Identification of starch granules using a two-step identification method. J Archaeol Sci, 52: 421–427CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Liu L, Chen X C, Shi J M. 2014a. Use-wear and residue analysis on grinding stones from the site of Niubizi in Wuxian, Shanxi, China (in Chinese). Archaeol Cultural Relics, 3: 109–118Google Scholar
  24. Lu H Y, Zhang J P, Wu N Q, Liu K, Xu D K, Li Q. 2009. Phytoliths analysis for the discrimination of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and common millet (Panicum miliaceum). PLoS One, 4: e4448CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Luan F S. 2005. The prehistoric cultural interaction and differences between the eastern and the western basins of Huai River (in Chinese). J Zhengzhou Univ, 38: 10–12Google Scholar
  26. Meteorological Bureau of Anhui Province. 1983. Climate of Anhui Province (in Chinese). Hefei: Anhui Science and Technology Publishing House. 122–135Google Scholar
  27. Meteorological Bureau of Henan Province. 1980. Climate of Anhui Province (in Chinese). Zhengzhou: Henan People Publishing House. 121–127Google Scholar
  28. No.1 Team of Institute of Archaeology of CASS. 1984. The excavation report of Peiligang site in 1979 (in Chinese). Acta Archaeol Sin, (1): 23–52Google Scholar
  29. Perry L, Michael Quigg J. 2011. Starch remains and stone boiling in the Texas Panhandle Part II: Identifying Wildrye (Elymus spp.). Plains Anthropol, 56: 109–119CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Piperno D R, Weiss E, Holst I, Nadel D. 2004. Processing of wild cereal grains in the Upper Palaeolithic revealed by starch grain analysis. Nature, 430: 670–673CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Qin L, Dorian Q F, Zhang H. 2010. Modelling wild food resource catchments amongst early farming: Case studies from the Lower Yangtze and Central China (in Chinese). Quat Sci, 30: 246–261Google Scholar
  32. Ren S N. 2005. The occurrence and development of the Pre-historical agriculture in China (in Chinese). Academic Exploration, (6): 110–123Google Scholar
  33. School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University. 2007. The preliminary archaeobotanical report of investigating the upper and middle Ying Valley. In: School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University, Henan Provincial Institute of Culture Relics and Archaeology. Archaeological discovery and research at the Wangchenggang site in Dengfeng: 2002–2005 (in Chinese). Zhengzhou: Elephant Press. 916–942Google Scholar
  34. Shida N, Marehide I, Tadashi M. 2004. Seeds of Wild Plants in Japan (in Chinese). Sendai: Tohoku University Press. 261Google Scholar
  35. Torrence R, Barton H. 2006. Ancient Starch Research. Walnut Creek: Left Coast Press. 256Google Scholar
  36. Wan Z W, Yang X Y, Ge Q S, Jiang M. 2011. Morphological characteristic of starch grains of root and tuber plants in south China (in Chinese). Quat Sci, 31: 736–745Google Scholar
  37. Wang J H. 1984. The charred foxtail millets found from Shawoli site, Xinzheng city (in Chinese). Agricul Archaeol, (2): 276Google Scholar
  38. Wang Y P, Zhang S L, He J N, Wang S Z, Zhao J F, Qu T L, Wang J Y, Gao X X. 2011. The excavation of the Lijiagou site in Xinmi city, Henan (in Chinese). Archaeology, (4): 3–9Google Scholar
  39. Wang Z L, Wu J A. 1998. Analysis of phytoliths and discussion on the characteristics of the prehistoric agricultural economy of he Yuchisi site (in Chinese). Archaeology, (4): 87–93Google Scholar
  40. Wei C X, Zhang J, Zhou W, Chen Y, Liu Q. 2008. Degradation of amyloplast envelope and discussion on the concept of compound starch granule in rice endosperm (in Chinese). Chin J Rice Sci, 22: 377–384Google Scholar
  41. Wu Y, Jiang L P, Zheng Y F, Wang C S, Zhao Z J. 2014. Morphological trend analysis of rice phytolith during the early Neolithic in the Lower Yangtze. J Archaeol Sci, 49: 326–331CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  42. Yan W M. 2000. The Origins of Agriculture and the Rise of Civilization (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. 388Google Scholar
  43. Yang X, Kong Z C, Liu C J, Ge Q S. 2010. Morphological characteristics of starch grains of millets and their wild relatives in north China (in Chinese). Quat Sci, 30: 364–371Google Scholar
  44. Yang X Y, Kong Z C, Liu C J, Ge Q S. 2009. Morphological characteristics of starch grains of nuts in north China (in Chinese). Quat Sci, 29: 153–158Google Scholar
  45. Yang X, Wan Z, Perry L, Lu H, Wang Q, Zhao C, Li J, Xie F, Yu J, Cui T, Wang T, Li M, Ge Q. 2012. Early millet use in northern China. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 109: 3726–3730CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  46. Yang X Y, Perry L. 2013. Identification of ancient starch grains from the tribe Triticeae in the North China Plain. J Archaeol Sci, 40: 3170–3177CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  47. Yang Y Z, Li W Y, LinY, Cheng Z J, Zhang J Z, Xin Y J. 2015. Plant resources utilization at the Tanghu site during the Peiligang Culture period based on starch grain analysis (in Chinese). Quat Sci, 35: 229–239Google Scholar
  48. Yin D. 2013. Flotation results from the Yuhuicun site. In: Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Bengbu Municipal Museum. Yuihuicun Site in Bengbu (in Chinese). Beijing: Science-Press. 250–268Google Scholar
  49. Zhang J P, Lu H Y, Gu W F, Wu N Q, Zhou K S, Hu Y Y, Xin Y J, Wang C. 2012. Early mixed farming of millet and rice 7800 years ago in the middle Yellow River region, China. PLoS One, 7: 1–8Google Scholar
  50. Zhang J Z. 2005. A brief discussion of Neolithic culture in the Huai River area (in Chinese). J Zhengzhou Univ, 38: 7–10Google Scholar
  51. Zhang J Z, Yin R C, Yang Y Z, Kan X H. 2004. A sketch on the relation between prehistoric rice-agriculture and civilization progress in the Huai River valley. In: Center for East Asia Archaeology Research in Shandong University, eds. Eastern Archaeology. Beijing: SciencePress (in Chinese). 198–209Google Scholar
  52. Zhang Y H, Weng Y, Yao L, Zhang J Z, Zhou Y J, Fang F, Cui W. 2011. Identification and analysis of starch granules on the surface of the slabs from the Peiligang Site (in Chinese). Quat Sci, 31: 891–899Google Scholar
  53. Zhao Z J, Pearsall D M, Benfer R A, Piperno D. 1998. Distinguishing rice (Oryza sativa poaceae) from wild Oryza species through phytolith analysis, II Finalized method. Economic Botany, 52: 134–145CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  54. Zhao Z J, Fang Y M. 2007. Flotation results from the Wangchenggang Site in Dengfeng (in Chinese). Huaxia Archaeol, (2): 78–89Google Scholar
  55. Zhao Z J, Zhang J Z. 2009. The report of flotation work at the Jiahu site (in Chinese). Archaeology, (8): 84–93Google Scholar
  56. Zhao Z J. 2010. Flotation results from the Yuchisi site in Mengcheng of Anhui Province. In: Zhao Z J, eds. Paleoethnobotany: Theories, Methods and Practice (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press. 109–119Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  • YuZhang Yang
    • 1
  • ZhiJie Cheng
    • 1
  • WeiYa Li
    • 1
    • 2
  • Ling Yao
    • 1
  • ZhanYang Li
    • 3
  • WuHong Luo
    • 1
  • ZengJian Yuan
    • 1
  • Juan Zhang
    • 1
  • JuZhong Zhang
    • 1
  1. 1.Department for the History of Science and Scientific ArchaeologyUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiChina
  2. 2.Faculty of ArchaeologyLeiden UniversityLeidenNetherlands
  3. 3.Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and ArchaeologyZhengzhouChina

Personalised recommendations