Bridging the gap on the southward dispersal route of agriculture in China: new evidences from the Guodishan site, Jiangxi province

Abstract

The southward spread of agriculture in China has long been regarded as a hot topic worldwide, as it is closely related to the further dispersal of farming into Southeast Asia and beyond. However, the absence of Neolithic agriculture evidence in Jiangxi province, the crossroad of the southward dispersal route, makes it difficult to confirm the specific diffusion route and triggers many debates. This study for the first time provides solid evidence of Neolithic mixed farming based on rice and foxtail millet in this region, dating back to at least 4850 cal. BP and finally bridges the gap on the proposed southward dispersal route of agriculture in China. This discovery also underlines the universality of mixed agriculture and the importance of millets in the early farming practices of Southern China.