Starch grain analysis reveals function of grinding stone tools at Shangzhai site, Beijing  

作　　者：YANG XiaoYan YU JinCheng Lü HouYuan CUI TianXing GUO JingNing GE QuanSheng 

机构地区：[1]Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,China [2]Beijing Cultural Relics Institute,Beijing 100009,China [3]Institute of Geology and Geophysics,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100029,China [4]School of Archaeology and Museology,Peking University,Beijing 100871,China

出　　处：《Science China Earth Sciences》2009年第8期1164-1171,共8页中国科学（地球科学英文版）

基　　金：Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40771205);National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 40625002);Knowledge Innovation Project from Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZC2-YW-315-5)

摘　　要：Prehistoric groundstone tools including slabs (metate, mo-pan) and mullers (mano, mo-bang) are often considered to be tools that were used to process cereals in ancient China. Most archaeologists believe that groundstone tools are indicators of an agrarian economy. This study employed starch grain analysis to examine a slab and a muller excavated from the Shangzhai Site (7500-7000 cal a BP), Beijing. Identifiable starch grains recovered from the stone tools were classified into 9 genera and 12 species, most of which were from acorns and foxtail millets. Remains from the oak species Q. mongolicus, Q. acuttssima, and Q. dentate were identified as well as a few starch grains from broomcorn (Panicum miliaseum) and bean (Vigna sp.). Other starch grains were from unidentifiable roots and grasses. A variety of starch grains indicates that the grinding stone tools were used to process not only cereals, but also other seeds or roots that had to be ground or husked, thus bringing into question the aforementioned cereal hypothesis. Because the numbers of starch grains from nuts and millets were so large, both gathering and cultivation might have been important economic patterns before 7000 years ago in Beijing area. Moreover, the starch remains are derived from plants that indicate that the paleoclimate of Beijing was wetter and warmer than today’s.Prehistoric groundstone tools including slabs (metate, mo-pan) and mullers (mano, mo-bang) are often considered to be tools that were used to process cereals in ancient China. Most archaeologists believe that groundstone tools are indicators of an agrarian economy. This study employed starch grain analysis to examine a slab and a muller excavated from the Shangzhai Site (7500–7000 cal a BP), Beijing. Identifiable starch grains recovered from the stone tools were classified into 9 genera and 12 species, most of which were from acorns and foxtail millets. Remains from the oak species Q. mongolicus, Q. acuttssima, and Q. dentate were identified as well as a few starch grains from broomcorn (Panicum miliaseum) and bean (Vigna sp.). Other starch grains were from unidentifiable roots and grasses. A variety of starch grains indicates that the grinding stone tools were used to process not only cereals, but also other seeds or roots that had to be ground or husked, thus bringing into question the aforementioned cereal hypothesis. Because the numbers of starch grains from nuts and millets were so large, both gathering and cultivation might have been important economic patterns before 7000 years ago in Beijing area. Moreover, the starch remains are derived from plants that indicate that the paleoclimate of Beijing was wetter and warmer than today’s.

关 键 词：STARCH GRAIN ANALYSIS artifact FUNCTION slab and muller Shangzhai SITE BEIJING 

分 类 号：S-09[农业科学]