Asian cultivated rice(Oryza sativa)has two main subspecies,indica(O.sativa sub.indica)and japonica(O.sativa sub.japonica).Japonica rice was domesticated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China,wh...Asian cultivated rice(Oryza sativa)has two main subspecies,indica(O.sativa sub.indica)and japonica(O.sativa sub.japonica).Japonica rice was domesticated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China,while indica appeared around 4000 a BP in northern south Asia after hybridization between introduced japonica and indigenous proto-indica.When and how indica rice spread into China is still barely understood,although it is cultivated widely in southern China today.Here we report on the earliest,definite indica rice remains in China,including charred seeds,phytoliths,and ancient DNA,from the newly investigated Kongsangqiao site at an elevation of 2676 m above sea level in Tibet,along with a charcoal study that reveals the vegetation and climate during of human occupation.AMS radiocarbon dating of charred indica rice grains suggests the remains are from the 8th century(700s CE).The dominant identified charcoal fragments are Himalayan pine(Pinus wallichiana),from which a rather cold climate is inferred where indica rice could not be grown in situ,suggesting it was likely brought to the site.Both archaeological and literature records thus support that indica rice,fully domesticated in northern south Asia,had spread to the southern margin of the Tibetan Plateau via parts of the ancient Tang-Tubo Road,Tubo-Nepal Road,by at least the 8th century CE.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41930323)the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(Grant No.2019QZKK0601)+1 种基金the Basic Science Center for Tibetan Plateau Earth System(Grant No.41988101)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDA2004010103).
文摘Asian cultivated rice(Oryza sativa)has two main subspecies,indica(O.sativa sub.indica)and japonica(O.sativa sub.japonica).Japonica rice was domesticated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China,while indica appeared around 4000 a BP in northern south Asia after hybridization between introduced japonica and indigenous proto-indica.When and how indica rice spread into China is still barely understood,although it is cultivated widely in southern China today.Here we report on the earliest,definite indica rice remains in China,including charred seeds,phytoliths,and ancient DNA,from the newly investigated Kongsangqiao site at an elevation of 2676 m above sea level in Tibet,along with a charcoal study that reveals the vegetation and climate during of human occupation.AMS radiocarbon dating of charred indica rice grains suggests the remains are from the 8th century(700s CE).The dominant identified charcoal fragments are Himalayan pine(Pinus wallichiana),from which a rather cold climate is inferred where indica rice could not be grown in situ,suggesting it was likely brought to the site.Both archaeological and literature records thus support that indica rice,fully domesticated in northern south Asia,had spread to the southern margin of the Tibetan Plateau via parts of the ancient Tang-Tubo Road,Tubo-Nepal Road,by at least the 8th century CE.
