安徽淮北渠沟遗址古人类植物性食物资源利用与石器功能的淀粉粒分析

Analysis On Utilization of Vegetative Food Resources by Ancient Hominids at Qugou Site in Anhui's Huaibei and Starch Grain Analysis Identifying Functions of Stone Implements

渠沟遗址是目前准河中游地区发现的年代最早的新石器遗址,为了解该遗址先民植物性食物资源利用及部分石器功能,本文利用淀粉粒分析方法对遗址出土的15件石器残件进行了表面残留物提取与分析,结果发现了来自栗、薏苡、小麦族、菜豆族等4类植物种属的淀粉粒共24粒,其中粟淀粉粒是迄今为止淮河中游地区年代最早的旱地农作物证据。结合炭化植物遗存分析结果,发现早在距今8800年左右,淮河中游已经产生稻栗兼作的农业模式。观察遗址出土石磨盘、石磨棒与石刀表面淀粉粒残留物的种类以及损伤特征表明,石磨盘和石磨棒在当时曾被用于对栗、小麦族及薏苡等植物种子进行脱壳、碾压或研磨等加工处理,而石刀可能主要用于收割禾本科植物。本文研究结果为探索准河中游新石器时代中晚期先民植物性食物资源利用、农作物结构演化与石器功能等提供了科学依据。

Qugou Site is the oldest Neolithic site ever found in the middle reaches of the Huaihe River.To understand the utilization of plant food resources by ancient people once lived here,as well as the functions of some stone implements,residues on the surface of 15 incomplete stone implements unearthed from the site have been collected and analyzed via means of starch grain analysis.It is found that there are 24 starch grains from 4 plant species,including millet,coix,the tribe Triticeae and the tribe Phaseoleae.The starch grains of millet are the oldest evidence for dryland farming ever found in the middle reaches of the Huaihe River.The analysis of the remains of carbonized plants shows,as early as 8,800 years ago,there was rice-millet farming in the middle reaches of the Huaihe River.The species of the starch grains on the surface of unearthed stone millstones,stone pestles and stone knives,as well as observations of the characteristics of the abrasive wear,indicate that the stone millstones and stone pestles were used to husk,crush,or grind,seeds of millet,plants of the tribe Triticeae,coix and others,and that the stone knives were probably mainly used for harvesting plants of the grass family.In this article,the results provide scientific basis for the exploration into the utilization of plant food resources by ancient people,the evolution of crop structure,the functions of stone implements in the middle reaches of the Huaihe River in the mid and late Neolithic Period.