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Archaeobotanical evidence for early utilization of cockleburs (Xanthium strumarium L., Asteraceae) in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China

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Abstract

Recently, the burs of Xanthium strumarium L. were discovered at the Yuergou site (400–200 cal BC) in the Turpan Basin of northwestern China. These burs were hard and medicated with tan or gray color. Compared with previous findings of cockleburs remains in China, the present discoveries of X. strumarium are much larger in terms of the number recovered (138 burs). These represent the most abundant finds of cockleburs (X. strumarium) from archaeological contexts in China directly dating to around 250 cal BC. Moreover, it is interesting that most of these cockleburs were broken with their seeds missing as modern experimental results performed here indicate that they were likely opened by humans with a knife. The cockleburs were likely used as a common medicinal resource and provide us with a glimpse of the wild plant use and daily practices of the ancient inhabitants of the Turpan Basin.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the NSFC (41672171, 41471167) for financial support, and to members of the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology in UCAS for useful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 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, China

    Pengfei Sheng, Xue Shang & Hongen Jiang

  2. Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A, Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China

    Pengfei Sheng, Xue Shang & Hongen Jiang

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  1. Pengfei Sheng
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Correspondence to Hongen Jiang.

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Sheng, P., Shang, X. & Jiang, H. Archaeobotanical evidence for early utilization of cockleburs (Xanthium strumarium L., Asteraceae) in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 11, 2027–2038 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-018-0651-5

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