Xinglonggou
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Xinglonggou is a
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
through
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
archaeological site complex consisting of three separate sites. The sites are located on a
loess Loess (, ; from german: Löss ) is a clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loess or similar deposits. Loess is a periglacial or aeolian ...
slope above the left bank of the Mangniu River north of the Qilaotu Mountains in Aohan Banner, Inner Mongolia, China. Xinglonggou is one of the most important sites of the early Neolithic
Xinglongwa culture The Xinglongwa culture () (6200 BC, 6200–5400 BC) was a Neolithic culture in northeastern China, found mainly around the Inner Mongolia-Liaoning border at the Liao River basin. Xinglongwa pottery was primarily cylindrical and baked at low tempe ...
and provides evidence for the development of millet cultivation. The millet assemblage at Xinglonggou consists primarily of
broomcorn millet ''Panicum miliaceum'' is a grain crop with many common names, including proso millet, broomcorn millet, common millet, hog millet, Kashfi millet, red millet, and white millet. Archaeobotanical evidence suggests millet was first domesticated abou ...
. Xinglonggou is one of the few, early Neolithic sites in China for which systematic flotation has been performed.


Description

Xinglonggou was discovered in 1982. Xinglonggou consists of three separate sites, each corresponding to a different archaeological culture. In chronological order, the oldest site (''Xinglonggou 1'') dates from around 8000 to 7500 BP and is associated with the
Xinglongwa culture The Xinglongwa culture () (6200 BC, 6200–5400 BC) was a Neolithic culture in northeastern China, found mainly around the Inner Mongolia-Liaoning border at the Liao River basin. Xinglongwa pottery was primarily cylindrical and baked at low tempe ...
; the next site (''Xinglonggou 2'') dates from around 5500 to 5000 BP and is associated with the Hongshan culture; the youngest site (''Xinglonggou 3'') dates from around 4000 to 3500 BP and is associated with the
Lower Xiajiadian culture The Lower Xiajiadian culture (; 2200–1600 BC) is an archaeological culture in Northeast China, found mainly in southeastern Inner Mongolia, northern Hebei, and western Liaoning, China. Subsistence was based on millet farming supplemented wi ...
.


The Xinglongwa site

The Xinglongwa site (''Xinglonggou 1'' or ''Locality 1'') in an early
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
settlement. Of the three sites, the Xinglongwa site has the richest material assemblage. The site was excavated from 2001 to 2003. The site covers an area of around , of which has been excavated. The foundations of 145 rectangular semi-subterranean houses were found. The houses were organized into 3 distinct clusters of around 50 houses each, arranged in rows. Unlike most other sites of the
Xinglongwa culture The Xinglongwa culture () (6200 BC, 6200–5400 BC) was a Neolithic culture in northeastern China, found mainly around the Inner Mongolia-Liaoning border at the Liao River basin. Xinglongwa pottery was primarily cylindrical and baked at low tempe ...
, ''Xinglonggou 1'' was not enclosed by a ditch. 37 of the houses have been excavated, where the remains of 28 individuals were found buried within. The remains of pig,
red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...
, dog, buffalo, badger, raccoon dog, bear, rabbit, and fish were also discovered at the site. The artefact assemblage at the site includes pottery, lithic tools, and lithic, osseous, shell and jade ornaments. The site has yielded some of the earliest jade artefacts in China. The jade assemblage consists primarily of slit rings, although tubes, chisels and other artefacts were also found. The people of Xinglonggou appeared to favor yellow-green
nephrite Nephrite is a variety of the calcium, magnesium, and iron-rich amphibole minerals tremolite or actinolite (Aggregate (geology), aggregates of which also make up one form of asbestos). The chemical formula for nephrite is calcium, Ca2(magnesium, ...
, a material that was not locally derived. Residue analysis of starch grain remains from
grinding stone Millstones or mill stones are stones used in gristmills, for grinding wheat or other grains. They are sometimes referred to as grindstones or grinding stones. Millstones come in pairs: a convex stationary base known as the ''bedstone'' and ...
s and human
dental calculus In dentistry, calculus or tartar is a form of hardened dental plaque. It is caused by precipitation of minerals from saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in plaque on the teeth. This process of precipitation kills the bacterial cells wit ...
shows that the people of Xinglonggou were primarily processing lily bulbs ('' Lilium''), Chinese yam ('' Dioscorea polystachya''), ''
Trichosanthes kirilowii ''Trichosanthes kirilowii'' is a flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae found particularly in Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it shares the name ...
'' root, Job's tears, millet, and limited amounts of acorn and various '' Triticeae'' grasses. The starch residue cereal remains are dominated by Job's tears (over millet). The Job's tears remains at ''Xinglonggou 1'' is the earliest evidence for Job's tears in
Northeast China Northeast China or Northeastern China () is a geographical region of China, which is often referred to as "Manchuria" or "Inner Manchuria" by surrounding countries and the West. It usually corresponds specifically to the three provinces east of t ...
and the northernmost evidence for Job's tears before 5000 BC. Systemic flotation at the site yielded over 1,500 grains of
broomcorn millet ''Panicum miliaceum'' is a grain crop with many common names, including proso millet, broomcorn millet, common millet, hog millet, Kashfi millet, red millet, and white millet. Archaeobotanical evidence suggests millet was first domesticated abou ...
and around 20 grains of
foxtail millet Foxtail millet, scientific name ''Setaria italica'' (synonym ''Panicum italicum'' L.), is an annual grass grown for human food. It is the second-most widely planted species of millet, and the most grown millet species in Asia. The oldest evidenc ...
. The broomcorn millet is described as being in the early stages of domestication. and was directly dated to around 7,700 BP. Consequently, this is the earliest directly dated millet in the archaeological record. Despite the evidence for limited millet cultivation, the early Neolithic people at ''Xinglonggou 1'' subsisted primarily on hunting and gathering.


The Hongshan site

The Hongshan site (''Xinglonggou 2'' or ''Locality 2'') is a late Neolithic settlement. The site was excavated in 2003 and 2012. The foundations of four rectangular semi-subterranean houses and 31 storage pits were found in the 2003 excavation. The settlement was enclosed by a ditch. The artefact assemblage at the site includes pottery, lithic and shell artefacts. A
terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, a ...
statue was unearthed during the 2012 excavation. The flora assemblage consisted mostly of nuts and fruits, yielding less millet, proportion-wise, than the early Neolithic ''Xinglonggou 1'' site. The remains of acorn, ''
Corylus heterophylla ''Corylus heterophylla'', the Asian hazel, is a species of hazel native to eastern Asia in northern and central China, Korea, Japan, and southeastern Siberia.Flora of China''Corylus heterophylla''/ref> It is a deciduous shrub or small tree gr ...
'', Manchurian walnut, ''
Pyrus betulaefolia ''Pyrus betulifolia'', known as the Birchleaf pear in English and Tang li in Chinese, is a deciduous wild pear tree native to the leafy forests of northern and central China and Tibet. It can grow 10 meters high in optimal conditions. Formidable ...
'' and ''
Prunus armeniaca ''Prunus armeniaca'' is the most commonly cultivated apricot species. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation. Genetic studies indicate Central Asia is the center of origin. It is extensively cultivated ...
'' were found at the site. Both broomcorn and foxtail millet were found at the ''Xinglonggou 2''.


The Lower Xiajiadian site

The Lower Xiajiadian site (''Xinglonggou 3'' or ''Locality 3'') is a Bronze Age settlement. The site was excavated in 2003. The settlement was enclosed by a ditch. The flora assemblage at this site consists primarily of crop remains. Both broomcorn and foxtail millet were found at ''Xinglonggou 3''. The site has yielded the earliest evidence for
soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu an ...
in Northeast China.


Millet consumption

The people at Xinglonggou consumed
millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...
all the way from the early Neolithic through the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
, gradually increasing their millet consumption, as a proportion of their diet, over time. While only 15% of the seeds recovered from the early Neolithic Xinglongwa site consisted of millet, an overwhelming 99% of the seeds recovered from the Bronze Age Lower Xiajiadian site consisted of millet.
Isotopic analysis Isotope analysis is the identification of isotopic signature, abundance of certain stable isotopes of chemical elements within organic and inorganic compounds. Isotopic analysis can be used to understand the flow of energy through a food web, ...
reveals that millet constituted a significant part of the people's diet even during the early Neolithic Xinglongwa culture period, and steadily increased over time; analysis shows that this consumption came directly from millet itself, not indirectly from consuming animals that consumed millet. During the Bronze Age, millet cultivation eventually became abundant enough to provide an important source of food for the domesticated pigs at Xinglonggou.


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* * * * * * {{Neolithic cultures of China Archaeological sites in China History of Inner Mongolia Populated places established in the 6th millennium BC 4th-millennium BC establishments 2nd-millennium BC establishments