Holocene spatiotemporal millet agricultural patterns in northern China: a dataset of archaeobotanical macroremains

Abstract

Abstract. Millet agriculture, i.e., broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica), initially originated in northern China and provided the basis for the emergence of the first state in the Central Plains. However, owing to the lack of a comprehensive archaeobotanical dataset, when, where, and how these two millet types evolved across different regions and periods remains unclear. Here, we presented a dataset of archaeobotanical macroremains (n=538) spanning the Neolithic and Bronze ages in northern China and suggested a significant spatiotemporal divergence of millet agriculture in the subhumid mid-lower Yellow River (MLY) and semiarid agro-pastoral ecotone (APE). The key timing of the diffusion and transition of millet agriculture occurred around 6000 cal. a BP, coinciding with the Holocene Optimum (8000–6000 cal. a BP) and Miaodigou Age (6200–5500 cal. a BP). It spread westward and northward from the MLY to APE and underwent a dramatic transition from low-yield broomcorn millet to high-yield foxtail millet. The combined influence of warm-wet climate, population pressure, and field management may have promoted the intensification, diffusion, and transition of millet agriculture around 6000 cal. a BP. Thereafter, the cropping patterns in the MLY were predominated by foxtail millet (∼ 80 %), while those in APE focused on both foxtail (∼ 60 %) and broomcorn millet under a persistent drying trend since the mid-Holocene. This study provided the first quantitative spatiotemporal cropping patterns during the Neolithic and Bronze ages in northern China, which can be used for evaluating prehistoric human subsistence, discussing past human–environment interaction, and providing a valuable perspective of agricultural sustainability for the future. The dataset is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6669730 (He et al., 2022).

Local adaptation and subsistence strategy of Yangshao migrants in Northwestern Sichuan in China during the Middle Neolithic (5300–4700 cal. BP)

“…While broomcorn millet was more dominant in the early periods, a shift in the crop pattern occurred around 5500 BP. Foxtail millet began to increase in quantity and eventually replaced broomcorn millet as the dominant crop (Bestel et al, 2018; Chen et al, 2020; He et al, 2022; Jia et al, 2013; Wang et al, 2018). This change can be attributed to three factors: population growth, environmental change, and the physiological characteristics of millets.…”

Synchronous change in the intensified millet cultivation and ecological environment from the early to middle Holocene on the Inner Mongolia Plateau, northern China

“…Millet data with direct dating are mainly from Leipe et al (2019), with additional records from Yang et al (2016); and millet records with indirect dating are from He et al (2022) (the indirect ages were determined by relative dating and from the archeological context).…”

“…The southeastern Inner Mongolia Plateau, with an average elevation of 1200 m, is one of the distribution centers of modern millet agriculture (He et al, 2022; Lu et al, 2009). Millet agriculture is thought to have originated in areas of hilly terrain, because most of the early plant micro- or macroremains from millet sites in northern China are found in such areas at elevations below 500 m (Liu et al, 2009; Wang et al, 2019; Zhao et al, 2022).…”

Editorial: Frontiers in the study of ancient plant remains

“…The recent flourish over the last decade or so has been a transformative time in which considerable momentum was forged towards a better understanding of Asian prehistory. The consequent knowledge generated has profound implications for the understanding of the human past on a more global scale ( McRostie, 2013 ; Liu et al., 2019 ; Pavlik et al., 2021 ; He et al., 2022 ). The 26 manuscripts included in this Research Topic celebrate the recent florescence and its deep roots.…”

“…These newly introduced crops, along with rice, formed a multi-cropping system that served as the part of the economic foundation for the rise of the regional culture, such as Chu kingdom during Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BCE). The two distinct agricultural systems in northern and southern China, which were complementary in terms of diet and had positive interactions and feedback, led to the sustainable intensification of agriculture and the emergence of complex societies and early states in the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers ( He et al., 2022 ).…”