Coastal farmers during the Early and Middle Holocene: Archaeobotanical and grain impression studies on the east coast Korea

Abstract

Our research investigates early plant use along the central east coast of Korea, focusing on four Neolithic sites, including Munamri, Osanri C, Jikyeongri, and Songejonri. We employed two approaches – archaeobotanical analysis on charred plant remains and identification of grain impressions on Neolithic vessels. We demonstrate the usefulness of grain impression observation, when it is combined with a more conventional macroscopic botanical analysis, in documenting early plant resource management. We identified domesticated foxtail millet and broomcorn millet along with common weedy taxa of the same genera of millet in both methods. Our study raises a possibility of adoption of broomcorn millet and possible utilization of native soybean and azuki earlier than previously suggested. Charred broomcorn millet was found in the Early Neolithic feature at Munamri, dating as early as 6100–5940 cal. BP on charcoal associated. The Initial Neolithic pottery at Osanri C reveals a possible azuki bean impression with a direct AMS date on its encrustation as early as 7160–6900 cal. BP. Charred soybean was also identified in Early Neolithic feature at Munamri where charcoal fragments were dated to 6100–5870 cal. BP. Both are smaller than modern domesticated taxa, but comparable to those in other Neolithic sites. Considering their small quantity and sizes, we need to increase the dataset to confirm the possibility of bean cultivation by the Early Neolithic period. Both archaeobotanical and impression studies confirmed that by the Middle Neolithic period the central east coastal communities farmed foxtail and broomcorn millets and utilized azuki and soybean. Weeds of millet tribe or subfamily in both impression and charred remains reflect the agroecology of millet farming field.