Fruit collection and early evidence for horticulture in the Hexi Corridor, NW China, based on charcoal evidence

Shên, Hui; Zhou, Xinying; Betts, Alison; Jia, Peter Weiming; Zhao, Keliang; Li, Xiaoqiang

doi:10.1007/s00334-018-0691-x

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…In the Hexi Corridor, Prunus wood fragments were found in great abundance at Mozuizi and Donghuishan, far higher than its percentage is believed to have been in the natural vegetation, possibly showing an intensive collection of Prunus (Shen et al, 2019). However, there is no clear sign of fruit management during this period, given that a wide range of wild fruit types, such as Nitraria and Cotoneaster were also widely exploited (Zhou et al, 2016;Shen et al, 2019). Meanwhile, previous studies show that, although a mixed agricultural system consisting of both millets, wheat, and barley existed in Xinjiang and the Hexi Corridor after 4000 BP, people still relied heavily on animal herding and/or feeding (Dong et al, 2020b;Li, 2021).…”

Section: Collection and Cultivation Of Fruit Treesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Elaeagnus angustifolia charcoal was found throughout the whole section and shows a gradually increasing trend at Xintala. In the Hexi Corridor, Prunus wood fragments were found in great abundance at Mozuizi and Donghuishan, far higher than its percentage is believed to have been in the natural vegetation, possibly showing an intensive collection of Prunus (Shen et al, 2019). However, there is no clear sign of fruit management during this period, given that a wide range of wild fruit types, such as Nitraria and Cotoneaster were also widely exploited (Zhou et al, 2016;Shen et al, 2019).…”

Section: Collection and Cultivation Of Fruit Treesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, considering that the distribution of wild Prunus trees had largely shrunk or even disappeared presumably due to long-term human activity, we should still be cautious about this conclusion. Almost at the same time, people in the Hexi Corridor probably also started engaging in horticultural practices, supported by the abundant discovery of Morus charcoal (Shen et al, 2019). Synchronously, a high-yield wheat and barley https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-287 Preprint.…”

Section: Collection and Cultivation Of Fruit Treesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seeing the Wood for the Trees: Active human-environmental interactions in arid northwest China

Shen,

Spengler,

Zhou

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Abstract. Due largely to demographic growth, agricultural populations during the Holocene became increasingly more impactful ecosystem engineers. Multidisciplinary research has revealed a deep history of human-environmental dynamics; however, these pre-modern anthropogenic ecosystem transformations and cultural adaptions are still poorly understood. Here, we synthesis anthracological data to explore the complex array of human-environmental interactions in the regions of the prehistoric Silk Road. Our results suggest that these ancient humans were not passively impacted by environmental change, but rather they culturally adapted to, and in turn altered, arid ecosystems. Underpinned by the establishment of complex agricultural systems on the western Loess Plateau, people may have started to manage chestnut trees, likely through conservation of economically significant species, as early as 4600 BP. Since ca. 3500 BP, with the appearance of high-yielding wheat/barley farming in Xinjiang and the Hexi Corridor, people appear to have been cultivating Prunus and Morus trees. We also argue that people were transporting the preferred coniferous woods over long distance to meet the need for fuel and timber. After 2500 BP, people in our study area were making conscious selections between wood types for craft production, and were also clearly cultivating a wide range of long-generation perennials, showing a remarkable traditional knowledge tied into the arid environment. At the same time, the data suggest that there was significant deforestation throughout the chronology of occupation, including a rapid decline of slow-growing spruce forests and riparian woodlands across the northwest China. The wood charcoal dataset is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8158277 (Shen et al., 2023).

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Section: Collection and Cultivation Of Fruit Treesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Collection and Cultivation Of Fruit Treesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Collection and Cultivation Of Fruit Treesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Seeing the Wood for the Trees: Active human-environmental interactions in arid northwest China

Shen,

Spengler,

Zhou

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, Elaeagnus charcoal was found throughout the whole section and shows a gradually increasing trend at Xintala. In the Hexi Corridor, Prunus wood fragments were discovered in great abundance at Mozuizi and Donghuishan, far higher than its percentage is believed to have been in the natural vegetation, possibly showing an intensive collection of Prunus (Shen et al, 2019). However, there is no clear sign of fruit management during this period, given that a wide range of wild fruit types, such as Nitraria and Cotoneaster, were also widely exploited (Zhou et al, 2016;Shen et al, 2019).…”

Section: Collection and Cultivation Of Fruit Treesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeing the wood for the trees: active human–environmental interactions in arid northwestern China

Shen,

Spengler,

Zhou

et al. 2024

Earth Syst. Sci. Data

Self Cite

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Abstract. Due largely to demographic growth, agricultural populations during the Holocene became increasingly more impactful ecosystem engineers. Multidisciplinary research has revealed a deep history of human–environmental dynamics; however, these pre-modern anthropogenic ecosystem transformations and cultural adaptions are still poorly understood. Here, we synthesis anthracological data to explore the complex array of human–environmental interactions in the regions of the prehistoric Silk Road. Our results suggest that these ancient humans were not passively impacted by environmental change; rather, they culturally adapted to, and in turn altered, arid ecosystems. Underpinned by the establishment of complex agricultural systems on the western Loess Plateau, people may have started to manage chestnut trees, likely through conservation of economically significant species, as early as 4600 BP. Since ca. 3500 BP, with the appearance of high-yielding wheat and barley farming in Xinjiang and the Hexi Corridor, people appear to have been cultivating Prunus and Morus trees. We also argue that people were transporting preferred coniferous woods over long distances to meet the need for fuel and timber. After 2500 BP, people in our study area were making conscious selections between wood types for craft production and were also clearly cultivating a wide range of long-generation perennials, showing a remarkable traditional knowledge tied into the arid environment. At the same time, the data suggest that there was significant deforestation throughout the chronology of occupation, including a rapid decline of slow-growing spruce forests and riparian woodlands across northwestern China. The wood charcoal dataset is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8158277 (Shen et al., 2023).

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“…Although, small-scale garden-style grape cultivation is possible if farmers were familiar with the necessary soil conditions, drainage requirements, and need for water inputs in the summer 60 . Grape vines are also a delayed return crop, and when asexually reproduced they tend to require a minimum of four years before the first harvest is procured 49,61 . At the same time, early urbanization of southern Central Asia, economic development, and population increases would all have led to an increased demand for fruit, wine, and cash crops.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphotype broadening of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) from Oxus civilization 4000 BP, Central Asia

Chen

Zhou

Khasannov

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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The region of Transoxiana underwent an early agricultural-demographic transition leading to the earliest proto-urban centers in Central Asia. The agronomic details of this cultural shift are still poorly studied, especially regarding the role that long-generation perennials, such as grapes, played in the cultivation system. In this paper, we present directly dated remains of grape pips from the early urban centers of Sapalli and Djarkutan, in south Uzbekistan. We also present linear morphometric data, which illustrate a considerable range of variation under cultivation that we divide into four distinct morphotypes according to pip shape. While some of the pips in these two assemblages morphologically fall within the range of wild forms, others more closely resemble modern domesticated populations. Most of the specimens measure along a gradient between the two poles, showing a mixed combination of domesticated and wild features. We also point out that the seeds recovered from the Djarkutan temple were, on average, larger and contained more affinity towards domesticated forms than those from domestic contexts. The potential preference of morphotypes seems to suggest that there were recognized different varieties that local cultivators might aware and possibly propagating asexually.

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Fruit collection and early evidence for horticulture in the Hexi Corridor, NW China, based on charcoal evidence

Cited by 8 publications

References 38 publications

Seeing the Wood for the Trees: Active human-environmental interactions in arid northwest China

Seeing the Wood for the Trees: Active human-environmental interactions in arid northwest China

Seeing the wood for the trees: active human–environmental interactions in arid northwestern China

Morphotype broadening of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) from Oxus civilization 4000 BP, Central Asia

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