Utilization Of Plant Resources In The Middle And Late Neolithic Period In The Upper Reaches Of The Luohe River In Wuqi,Yan’an

The development of millet farming in the Yellow River basin provides an important foundation for the evolution of civilization in northern China during the Middle and Late Neolithic period.It was also one of the most significant driving forces behind the expansion of archaeological culture in the Yellow River basin.Archaeological data indicates that ancient culture and agriculture progressed simultaneously in the Shaanxi region in the middle reaches of the Yellow River,and began to expand from Guanzhong to the northward during the early period of Yangshao culture.Within Shaanxi,Yan’an is a principal location where culture and agriculture spread northward in Guanzhong area,and its regional model of agricultural production and development is of great significance for learning about the growth of agriculture northward in the Loess Plateau region.Besides,Yan’an has also become a focal point for the study of the origins of civilization and early Chinese culture due to the discovery of the Lushanmao site.Subsistence economy is the foundation of cultural development,and in the process of studying the complexity of society,the utilization of plant resources in the Yan’an area has also attracted much attention.In this paper,we analyzed the plant macro-remains and the phytoliths in soil samples from 19 Middle and Late Neolithic sites during archaeological surveys in the upper reaches of the Luohe River in Wuqi,Yan’an.Combined with knowledge of the ancient environmental background,we investigated the utilization of ancient plant resources.At the same time,we used AMS-¹⁴C dating to examine carbonized seeds unearthed from twelve locations at ten of these sites.The results showed that the environment during the Holocene warm period provided ideal conditions for the development and dissemination of culture and agriculture.Our ancestors in Wuqi had already started dry farming of foxtail millet and broomcorn millet in the early Yangshao culture period（6,300-5,600 cal BP）.From the middle Yangshao culture period to the late Longshan culture period（5,600-3,800 cal BP）,the overall extent of agriculture rose,becoming a primary source of plant-based food.Regarding the proportion of foxtail millet and broomcorn millet samples,there are discrepancies in the analysis results of phytoliths and plant macro-remains.However,we were able to verify that from the early to late Yangshao period（5,200-4,800 cal BP）in the Wuqi area,the proportion of broomcorn millet was slightly higher than foxtail millet.Moreover,the amount of foxtail millet increased during the Longshan period（4,800-3,800 cal BP）,but variations in the proportion of foxtail millet and broomcorn millet were not significant.Compared with other areas in Shaanxi,results from this study indicate that concerning dry farming patterns,Wuqi resembles the areas in Yulin and Fuxian County,Yan’an.That is,broomcorn millet always held a prominent position in the crop planting process.This is a reflection of circumstance-related behavior and environmental constraints,as well as a consideration that our ancestors resisted natural risks and continued to survive in an environment of climate change.As for other plants,the results of the plant macro-remains analysis show that weeds were dominant,and included species such as Poaceae,Leguminosae,and Chenopodiaceae.In contrast,fruits only appeared sporadically.The analysis of phytoliths further indicates that the Pooideae subfamily of the Poaceae family was occupies the highest.Other types included Panicoideae,Bambusoideae,reeds,Eragrostidoideae,ferns,and woody plants.The function of these plants included sustenance,medicine,animal feed,construction,and fuel.This reflects the way of life of the inhabitants of the upper reaches of the Luohe River in Wuqi,who developing millet agriculture while simultaneously collected and used the wild plant resources around them extensively.Also,the long-term millet agricultural production provided a stable food supply for social development in the Yan’an area,promoting the process of civilization during the late Longshan culture period.