The Research Of Agricultural Activities And Utilization Of Wild Plants During The Zhou Dynasty In Jiaodong Region

Using a combination of statistical methods,which include simple statistical methods,spatial distribution,and thousand-grain weight,the research analyses the remains of carbonized plants in Beiqian,Zhouwangzhuang,Longquanhedong and Henanzhuang sites,combined with background of plant remains,and referring to literature records and folklore materials,to reveal the agricultural and wild plant utilization of the sites.The main results from analysis are as follows:(1)There are many types of crops in the Beiqian site,Longquanhedong site and Henanzhuang site,among them the most important two species are foxtail miliiet and wheat,followed by broomcorn millet and soybean,while rice,adzuki bean,mung bean,barley and marijuana are quite less;The crops in Zhouwangzhuang site are mainly foxtail and broomcorn millets,with less soybean.The spatial distribution of plant remains shows that there may be some functional zones in the above four sites;(2)The statistical results of cereal weed ratios show that the crops have an absolute advantage in the remains of unearthed plants,indicating that the Jiaodong region developed a stable agricultural economy in the Zhou Dynasty.Using the multiple statistical methods of percentage,unearthed probability,thousand-grain weight,and yield,the agricultural observations in the Jiaodong region showed that the largest grains should be wheat and millet,followed by soybean;(3)The results of comprehensive analysis of unearthed crops and documents show that people in the Zhou Dynasty in Jiaodong Region have implemented rotation cropping systems;The farm tools unearthed from archaeological sites show that the use of iron farming tools increased,and breakthroughs were made in agricultural production techniques during the Zhou Dynasty,especially during the Warring States period;(4)Comparing the crops unearthed by Zhou Dynasty and the prehistoric unearthed crops in Jiaodong,it was found that foxtail millet was the basic type of crops,wheat began to increase during the Yueshi culture period,and made greater development in the Zhou Dynasty;and the comparative analysis of crops unearthed from North,Southeast and Southwest of Shandong Province in the Zhou Dynasty,it shows that the development advantages of wheat in Jiaodong are relatively obvious.The development trend may be related to differences in the local environment and factors such as climate and society;(5)A number of wild plants,including weeds and fruits,have been unearthed at each site.The study of the habitats and utilization patterns of wild plants showed that the ancestors of the Zhou Dynasty in Jiaodong Region made full use of the resources around the settlements and developed various sidelines as an important means of livelihoods;(6)Wild plants unearthed in Jiaodong area,including plants in various habitats such as upland and aquatic plants,partly reveal the warm and humid environment at that time.