All around the world, ancient legends exist about the Great Flood, and the influence of the Great Flood in human evolutionary history is a hotly debated topic. In China, the legend of the prehistoric Great Flood and Y...All around the world, ancient legends exist about the Great Flood, and the influence of the Great Flood in human evolutionary history is a hotly debated topic. In China, the legend of the prehistoric Great Flood and Yu the Great's flood control has a long history and is considered to be closely linked to the establishment of the Xia Dynasty. However, there is a lack of solid scientific evidence. Against this issue, some scholars have proposed that an earthquake around 1920 BCE in the Guanting Basin along the upper reaches of the Yellow River led to the creation of a lake by damming in the Jishi Gorge and that the outburst of water from that lake led to the massive flood in the Yellow River region. These studies provided new scientific evidence for the Chinese legend. In this paper, we date skeletal samples embedded in earthquake sand blasting from the Lajia site, analyze remains from natural disasters(such as earthquakes and floods) and also archaeological remains. In addition, we compared the skeletal samples dating with that of sediments from the dammed-up lake. Our results are inconsistent with those of previous scholars. The earthquake at the Lajia site occurred no earlier than 1800 BCE, and the dammed-up lake in Jishi Gorge had disappeared by 3600 BCE. Thus, the formation and outburst of the dammed lake, the sudden death of ancient humans at the Lajia site and the ancient earthquake were independent events occurring at different times. In addition, the massive flood in the upper reaches of the Yellow River did not actually happen. Thus, we argue against and invalidate the hypothesis that the massive flood was related to Yu the Great's flood control and the establishment of the Xia Dynasty.展开更多
Lajia Site, located near the upper reaches of the Yellow River and the border of Qinghai Province and Gansu Province, is a large-scale site of the Qijia Culture. In 2000 and 2001, archaeologists excavated an unusual s...Lajia Site, located near the upper reaches of the Yellow River and the border of Qinghai Province and Gansu Province, is a large-scale site of the Qijia Culture. In 2000 and 2001, archaeologists excavated an unusual scene of prehistoric dramatic and miserable disasters. Lots of geo-logic-geographic evidences revealed that the Lajia Site was ruined by coinstantaneous disasters, mainly floods from the Yellow River and earthquakes, accompanying mountainous torrents. Study on these disasters and their driven forces could provide us not only the knowledge on the palaeoenvi-ronment of the area, but also offer us a valuable site to assess the influence of the natural disasters on human civilization development.展开更多
A large number of stone knives have been recovered from Neolithic archaeological sites in East Asia.However, direct evidence regarding the functions of the stone knives has been scarce, and hence, their functions have...A large number of stone knives have been recovered from Neolithic archaeological sites in East Asia.However, direct evidence regarding the functions of the stone knives has been scarce, and hence, their functions have remained controversial. In this study, we recovered and analysed ancient starch grains and phytoliths from residues adhering to stone knives excavated from the Lajia site, Qinghai Province, northwest China, thus providing direct evidence for the functions of the knives. Our analyses were based on the following:(1) an assemblage of 278identifiable starch grains, representing grains from the stems of foxtail millet(Setaria italica) and broomcorn millet(Panicum miliaceum)(65.1 % of the total) and the stems of Hordeum and Triticum species(3.6 % of the total), and(2) an assemblage of 361 identifiable phytoliths,the majority of which were from the stems and leaves of plants such as Panicoideae and related taxa(96 % of the total). Our study demonstrates that one of the functions of the stone knives was the harvesting crops. In addition, a few starch grains from food legumes and roots(3.4 % of the total) indicate that the stone knives were also likely used to process, peel and cut some foods.展开更多
Noodles are a global food,but the periods when and places where they were made and originated,as well as their ingredients and the cooking methods used to manufacture them,have remained contentious.In the 2005 edition...Noodles are a global food,but the periods when and places where they were made and originated,as well as their ingredients and the cooking methods used to manufacture them,have remained contentious.In the 2005 edition of the journal Nature,we wrote a summary of the millet noodle specimens found in the Late Neolithic Qijia cultural stratum of the Lajia archaeological site in Qinghai Province,China.However,how the ancient people made millet noodles remains controversial.This paper provides a systematic analysis of the remains of noodles found withinan earthenware bowl at the Lajia ‘‘noodle house'' in terms of their plant composition including phytoliths,starch and biomarkers.It provides evidence of how people used millet4,000 years ago and,most specifically,of the principal methods used for producing millet-based noodles.Further,we show how we used traditional hele tools to make hele millet noodles,with especial reference to the gelatinized hydrogel-forming method,to simulate morphology consistent with the composition and form of the unearthed millet noodles.The results of this study provide new evidence and new insights into the cultural characteristics of the prehistoric human diet.展开更多
In 2002--2003, The Gasun-Qinghai Archaeological Team, IA. CASS. and the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology continued to excavate on the Lajia site. They discovered a pile-dwelling and an e...In 2002--2003, The Gasun-Qinghai Archaeological Team, IA. CASS. and the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology continued to excavate on the Lajia site. They discovered a pile-dwelling and an earthen altar of the Qijia culture within a small square. On the altar, a special tomb was found to contain a number of jades; at the edge, ten burials were discovered to be of sacrifical nature. The altar is shaped like a trancated pyramid with gentle slopes and man-made hard surfaces, measuring about 2m in height above the square. The remains suggest that the pile-dwelling might have been a ritual building like the she (社 sacrificial building to the god of land ) or mingtang (明堂 ritual hall); and the high-rank tomb, a priest's burial , These finds mark a new breakthrough in prehistoric archaeology and the study of ancient civilization in the upper Yellow River valley, and have great academic significance.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41620104007,41671077 and41402240)
文摘All around the world, ancient legends exist about the Great Flood, and the influence of the Great Flood in human evolutionary history is a hotly debated topic. In China, the legend of the prehistoric Great Flood and Yu the Great's flood control has a long history and is considered to be closely linked to the establishment of the Xia Dynasty. However, there is a lack of solid scientific evidence. Against this issue, some scholars have proposed that an earthquake around 1920 BCE in the Guanting Basin along the upper reaches of the Yellow River led to the creation of a lake by damming in the Jishi Gorge and that the outburst of water from that lake led to the massive flood in the Yellow River region. These studies provided new scientific evidence for the Chinese legend. In this paper, we date skeletal samples embedded in earthquake sand blasting from the Lajia site, analyze remains from natural disasters(such as earthquakes and floods) and also archaeological remains. In addition, we compared the skeletal samples dating with that of sediments from the dammed-up lake. Our results are inconsistent with those of previous scholars. The earthquake at the Lajia site occurred no earlier than 1800 BCE, and the dammed-up lake in Jishi Gorge had disappeared by 3600 BCE. Thus, the formation and outburst of the dammed lake, the sudden death of ancient humans at the Lajia site and the ancient earthquake were independent events occurring at different times. In addition, the massive flood in the upper reaches of the Yellow River did not actually happen. Thus, we argue against and invalidate the hypothesis that the massive flood was related to Yu the Great's flood control and the establishment of the Xia Dynasty.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.40171096 and 49831080)the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(Grant No.2001BAS05B05).
文摘Lajia Site, located near the upper reaches of the Yellow River and the border of Qinghai Province and Gansu Province, is a large-scale site of the Qijia Culture. In 2000 and 2001, archaeologists excavated an unusual scene of prehistoric dramatic and miserable disasters. Lots of geo-logic-geographic evidences revealed that the Lajia Site was ruined by coinstantaneous disasters, mainly floods from the Yellow River and earthquakes, accompanying mountainous torrents. Study on these disasters and their driven forces could provide us not only the knowledge on the palaeoenvi-ronment of the area, but also offer us a valuable site to assess the influence of the natural disasters on human civilization development.
基金supported by theNational Natural Science Foundation of China(41072140 and41371217)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA05130603 and XDA05130402)the ‘‘135’’ Strategy of Science and Technology Plan Projects of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences(2012QY003)
文摘A large number of stone knives have been recovered from Neolithic archaeological sites in East Asia.However, direct evidence regarding the functions of the stone knives has been scarce, and hence, their functions have remained controversial. In this study, we recovered and analysed ancient starch grains and phytoliths from residues adhering to stone knives excavated from the Lajia site, Qinghai Province, northwest China, thus providing direct evidence for the functions of the knives. Our analyses were based on the following:(1) an assemblage of 278identifiable starch grains, representing grains from the stems of foxtail millet(Setaria italica) and broomcorn millet(Panicum miliaceum)(65.1 % of the total) and the stems of Hordeum and Triticum species(3.6 % of the total), and(2) an assemblage of 361 identifiable phytoliths,the majority of which were from the stems and leaves of plants such as Panicoideae and related taxa(96 % of the total). Our study demonstrates that one of the functions of the stone knives was the harvesting crops. In addition, a few starch grains from food legumes and roots(3.4 % of the total) indicate that the stone knives were also likely used to process, peel and cut some foods.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41230104)the National Science and Technology Major Project of China(2015CB953801)+1 种基金the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA05130602)the National Science and Technology Supporting Program of China(2013BAK08B02)
文摘Noodles are a global food,but the periods when and places where they were made and originated,as well as their ingredients and the cooking methods used to manufacture them,have remained contentious.In the 2005 edition of the journal Nature,we wrote a summary of the millet noodle specimens found in the Late Neolithic Qijia cultural stratum of the Lajia archaeological site in Qinghai Province,China.However,how the ancient people made millet noodles remains controversial.This paper provides a systematic analysis of the remains of noodles found withinan earthenware bowl at the Lajia ‘‘noodle house'' in terms of their plant composition including phytoliths,starch and biomarkers.It provides evidence of how people used millet4,000 years ago and,most specifically,of the principal methods used for producing millet-based noodles.Further,we show how we used traditional hele tools to make hele millet noodles,with especial reference to the gelatinized hydrogel-forming method,to simulate morphology consistent with the composition and form of the unearthed millet noodles.The results of this study provide new evidence and new insights into the cultural characteristics of the prehistoric human diet.
文摘In 2002--2003, The Gasun-Qinghai Archaeological Team, IA. CASS. and the Qinghai Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology continued to excavate on the Lajia site. They discovered a pile-dwelling and an earthen altar of the Qijia culture within a small square. On the altar, a special tomb was found to contain a number of jades; at the edge, ten burials were discovered to be of sacrifical nature. The altar is shaped like a trancated pyramid with gentle slopes and man-made hard surfaces, measuring about 2m in height above the square. The remains suggest that the pile-dwelling might have been a ritual building like the she (社 sacrificial building to the god of land ) or mingtang (明堂 ritual hall); and the high-rank tomb, a priest's burial , These finds mark a new breakthrough in prehistoric archaeology and the study of ancient civilization in the upper Yellow River valley, and have great academic significance.
