Abstract
Rice (Oryza sativa) was domesticated in the Yangtze Valley region at least 6000–8000 years ago, yet the timing of dispersal of domesticated rice to Southeast Asia is contentious. Often rice is not well-preserved in archaeobotanical assemblages at early Neolithic sites in the wet tropics of Southeast Asia and consequently rice impressions in pottery have been used as a proxy for rice cultivation despite their uncertain taxonomic and domestication status. In this research, we use microCT technology to determine the 3D microscale morphology of rice husk and spikelet base inclusions within pottery sherds from early Neolithic sites in Vietnam. In contrast to surface impressions, microCT provides images of the entire husk and spikelet base preserved within the pottery, including the abscission scar characteristic of domesticated rice. This research demonstrates the potential of microCT to be a new, non-destructive method for the identification of domesticated plant remains within pottery sherds, especially in contexts where archaeobotanical preservation is poor and chaff-tempered sherds are rare and unavailable for destructive analysis. The method has the potential to greatly advance the understanding of crop domestication and agricultural dispersal for ceramic cultures in different parts of the world.
Highlights
The earliest domesticated rice (Oryza sativa) in Southeast Asia spread southward from its source region in China after 7000 cal BP potentially along with other Neolithic traits, such as cultivation practices, pottery and domesticated pigs, reaching Guangdong, Hainan and Taiwan by about 5500–5000 cal BP9–11
Southern Vietnam were subjected to microCT analysis to determine if organic inclusions, or combusted impressions of organic inclusions, of domesticated rice (Oryza sativa) were present
An Son and Loc Giang have riverine locations, whereas Rach Nui is located in a mangrove-flanked estuary
Summary
The earliest domesticated rice (Oryza sativa) in Southeast Asia spread southward from its source region in China after 7000 cal BP potentially along with other Neolithic traits, such as cultivation practices, pottery and domesticated pigs, reaching Guangdong, Hainan and Taiwan by about 5500–5000 cal BP9–11. The archaeological sites date to the southern Vietnam Neolithic (Fig. 1): An Son to c.4200–3150 cal BP15, Loc Giang from at least 4000–3300 cal BP16 and Rach Nui to 3555–3265 cal BP17.
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