Plant Food Sources And Pottery Function At The Site Of Qingtai And Dongzhao From Yangshao Period To The Bronze Age Based On Starch Grain Analysis

Zhengzhou Area,located in the Central Plains,is the core area for researching origin of civilization and agriculture.The period between Yangshao Period and the Bronze Age is the key stage social transformation in ancient China.The archaeological culture and the development of agriculture in Zhengzhou Area during this long period have always been one of the important issues that archaeologists focus on.The study on the utilization of plant resources from Yangshao Period to the Bronze Age in Zhengzhou Area is helpful for us to understand the evolution of plant and the agricultural development during that period.At the same time,the starch grain analysis of the surface of potteries also provides new scientific evidence for the function of prehistoric pottery.In this paper,starch grain analysis was carried out on potteries and dental calculus unearthed at Qingtai site and Dongzhao site which are known as the Yangshao period site and the Bronze Age site respectively in Zhengzhou Area.Results show that plant resources in Qingtai site contains Triticeae,Setaria italic,Nelumbo,Dioscorea opposite,Trichosanthes kirilowii,Quercus and Pisum.Starch grains from Setaria italic,Panicum miliaceum,Oryza spp.,Triticeae,Coix lacryma-jobi,Vigna,Quercus and Nelumbo were found in the Dongzhao site.The statistics analysis shows changes of plant utilization from Yangshao period to the Bronze Age.In late Yangshao period,Setaria italic was the main plant resource while ancestor also collected wild Triticeae as food.Nelumbo,Dioscorea opposite,Trichosanthes kirilowii,Quercus and Pisum were also used as people's food In the Bronze Age,Setaria italic and Panicum miliaceum were the main plant food during Xinzhai and East Zhou Period.Triticum aestvum and Vigna were more and more important in people's dietary.Coix lacryma-jobi,Oryza spp.,Quercus and Nelumbo were also parts of people ' s diet.According to the results,we can see that dry farming including foxtail millet and broomcorn millet is the dominant agricultural plant in Zhengzhou area from Yangshao period to the Bronze Age.It is worth noting that people began to cultivate rice,wheat and soybean from the Erlitou period,indicating the formation of a new agricultural pattern with many different crops.The agricultural pattern between Zhengzhou area and neighbours has more similarity than difference due to the influence of culture and environment.In addition,potteries have different functions.For example,"Tao Ao" is used for baking.The cooking vessels including "Li" deep-bellied jar,are used to boil water or steam millets.The function of grooved basin needs more researches.This paper preliminary reveals the change of the starchy plant food composition in Zhengzhou area during Yangshao period and the Bronze Age,and provides meaningful evidences for the researches of human adaption in different period.