Central Plains Of China Research Articles

Raising girls and boys in early China: Stable isotope data reveal sex differences in weaning and childhood diets during the eastern Zhou era.

ObjectivesUsing stable isotope analysis of incremental dentin segments, we reconstruct breastfeeding, weaning, and childhood dietary patterns of Eastern Zhou period (771–221 BC) individuals from the Central Plains of China. Previous isotopic research on the Eastern Zhou demonstrated dietary difference between male and female diets in adulthood via bone collagen analysis. To understand the development of gendered dietary patterns we must examine the early life period. We aim to identify the timing of the weaning process, whether childhood diets were the same as adulthood diets, and if there were differences between the diets of boys and girls during childhood.Materials and MethodsWe present incremental dentin and bone collagen δ13C and δ15N isotope data from 23 individuals from two Eastern Zhou archaeological sites (Xiyasi 西亚斯and Changxinyuan 畅馨苑).ResultsWeaning was completed between ages 2.5 and 4 years. Females were weaned slightly earlier than males. Early childhood diets show significant incorporation of C3 foods, such as wheat and soybean, for almost all children, while later adulthood diets indicate greater incorporation of C4 foods (millets), particularly for males.DiscussionChildhood diets included greater amounts of C3 foods than expected, suggesting that grains such as wheat may have been adopted in these communities as foods for children. Nevertheless, dietary differentiation between females and males began in childhood, with boys eating more millets (C4 foods) than girls. The findings suggest that feeding children was a significant aspect of socialization and cultural gendering of individuals in ancient China.

Reconstructing diets and subsistence strategies of the Bronze Age humans from the Central Plains of China: A stable isotopic study on the Nanwa site

AbstractA multicrop agricultural system, including millet, wheat, rice, and soybeans, first emerged in China in the Late Longhang period and is considered to be one of the most important basic foundations underpinning the origin and development of early states in China. However, there is still a lack of studies on the specific subsistence strategies of humans from the Bronze Age, specifically addressing how widespread the multicrop agricultural system was. To explore these questions above, carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis on human bones from the Nanwa site (ca 1720–256 BC & 960–1279 AD) was undertaken to investigate the palaeodiet and subsistence strategies of the Nanwa humans. This paper also reviews the existing stable isotope data of Bronze Age humans on the Central Plains of China.The Nanwa humans from the Erlitou and Yinxu periods have a mean δ13C value of −9.4 ± 0.7‰ and −9.1 ± 0.9‰, suggesting a predominantly C4 diet, probably derived from millet agriculture or domesticated animals fed on millet. Nanwa humans of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty have a relatively low mean δ13C value of −10.5 ± 2.4‰, indicating a consumption of much more C3 foods, likely derived from rice, wheat, soybean, or animals that fed on those plants. A temporal stable isotopic comparison from the Erlitou period to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty on the Central Plains of China shows the majority of the Bronze Age humans have high mean δ13C value (−9.5 ± 1.8‰), suggesting a predominantly C4‐based diet. We infer that millet agriculture was still the primary economy for humans during the Bronze Age. However, there is a relatively large proportion of humans from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty that have decreased δ13C values, indicating a much more C3 foods consumption and diversity diet, presumably derived from a multicrop agricultural system of millet, wheat, rice, and soybean. It is possible that the trend moved from a narrowly focused, mainly millet‐based diet, to a more diverse agricultural system and was triggered by a combination of factors such as climate change, agricultural reform, social stratification, wars, migration, and so on.

Dietary shift and social hierarchy from the Proto-Shang to Zhou Dynasty in the Central Plains of China

The Proto-Shang, the Shang and the Zhou dynasties (∼2000–221 BCE: Before Common Era) are key periods in the origin and evolution of ancient civilizations in China since the periods include the processes and mechanisms of social development in the Central Plains of China during the Bronze Age. However, human-environment interactions in the context of trans-Eurasia cultural exchange during that time are not well-understood. In this study, isotopic analysis and radiocarbon dating of human and animal bones from Xinancheng cemetery in southeast Shanxi Province are reported. It was deduced that, for the period ∼1000–800 BCE, humans buried in Xinancheng cemetery relied primarily on C4-based foods and upper-status individuals consumed more animal protein and probably C3 crops. Also, considering the paleoclimate and other archaeological data of the Central Plains, the human diet and subsistence strategies changed significantly with more C3 staples such as wheat being consumed during the Eastern Zhou (770–221 BCE), as evidenced by an increased intake of wheat by lower-status individuals and the development of a mixed wheat and millet agricultural system. It is argued that the socio-economic change around the late western Zhou-early eastern Zhou Dynasty occurred as a result of the necessity to adapt to the aggravation caused by climate deterioration and population pressures, factors which profoundly influenced the economic and lifestyle patterns in ancient China. The socio-economic system of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty displayed more resilience to climate change than that of earlier periods.

從“布施”與“檀越”看譯詞的歷時之變

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.
 施捨行爲的認知框架是“施事―動作―與事―受事”，表施捨行爲的“布施”是佛教修行法門，做出施捨的是施者，佛教稱爲“檀越”或“施主”。通過探討布施場與檀越場成員在中土的發展，逐一分析17個成員翻譯形式，考察該詞在歷代譯典、佛教撰述、世典的分布，可檢視其演變過程。經過綜合評估，發現二場成員以意譯詞較具優勢。同時，所謂“單音詞是多音詞節縮”不可盡信，時代與分布指明“檀”不是“檀那”節譯，“檀越”亦非全譯形式的節譯。與其他音譯相比，“檀”的演變快，發生語素化，有較强構詞力，但語料分布廣度有限，有宗教色彩，故不宜高估其影響力。古人主張“檀越”有意可解，然實爲典型的音譯。最後，施捨框架中，動作的顯著度高於其他要件，故轉喻方向以“從施捨到施者”爲常。
 The cognitive frame of almsgiving behavior is: doer ― action ― giving ―object. The Sanskrit term dāna refers to the action of almsgiving, which is an important practice of Buddhism, and almsgivers are called dana-pati. This study looks into the development of dāna and dana-pati members on the central plain of China, analyzes 17 respective members’ translation forms, and examines the distribution of the terms in translated Buddhist scripture in the past dynasties, Buddhist writing, and secular canons in order to analyze the evolution of these terms. The findings of our analysis serve to cast doubt on the assumption that “a single syllable word is the contraction of a multisyllabic word.” Time and distribution reveal that dan is not the abbreviation of dāna, nor is dana-pati an abridged translation. In a comparison with other transliterations, the evolution of dan was fast because it became a morpheme, which formed the root of other new words and phrases, but the relevant source-text distribution was not broad and was religiously-oriented. Thus, one should not overestimate the effect of the terms of dan. In addition, the ancients argued that dana-pati carried a substantial meaning and could be construed, but as the author of this essay points out, it is a typical transliteration. Finally, in the framework of almsgiving, the action of giving alms is more significant than the other elements. Therefore, the metonymy direction starts “from almsgiving to alms giver.”

Predictive Power of Gut Microbiome in the Clinical or Pathological Diagnosis of Diabetic Kidney Disease

Background: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is characterized by increasing incidence, deficient diagnostic methods and poor prognosis. Methods: Using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) technique, we characterized the microbial community in patients with clinically or pathologically diagnosed DKD. Findings: Differences among groups included expanded opportunistic pathogens, sulfate-reducing bacteria and mucin-degrading bacteria and depleted bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) levels. Eleven microbiota-targeted markers could separate the DKD group (clinically diagnosed; n =120) from the HCDM group (DM =92, HC = 140) with an area under the curve (AUC) of 88.12% . We analyzed an independent cohort of 60 DKDs and 116 HCDMs (DM = 46, Con = 70) to assess the diagnostic efficiency, with an AUC of 79.75%. The predicted functional category referring lipid metabolism was increased in DKD, and metabolism of tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan was increased in DM. DKD-enriched microbial markers were positively correlated with serum creatinine and 24h-proteinuria. We performed the same analysis on 22 biopsy-proved DKD (also named diabetic nephropathy, DN) and 22 membranous nephropathy (MN). Differences in gut microbiome were identified by linear discriminant analysis, and the relative abundance of nine genera could be used to differentiate DN from MN (AUC = 77.69%). Interpretation: The gut microbiome was associated with DKD/DN. Microbiota-associated biomarkers represent a new diagnostic test for DKD that distinguishes it from MN. Funding: The National Natural Science Foundation of China; Science and Technology Innovation Team of Henan; Foundation for Leading Personnel of Central Plains of China; National Key Research and Development Program of China. Declaration of Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists. Ethics Approval Statement: Our study followed the Helsinki declaration. The Institutional Review Board of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University approved all protocols (2019-KY-361). All participants had the right to information about the study and signed a written informed consent before sample collection.

Growing up different in Neolithic China: A contextualised case study and differential diagnosis of a young adult with skeletal dysplasia

This paper presents a case study of a young adult from the late Neolithic Yangshao cultural period site (∼3300–2900 years BC) of Guanjia (关家) located in Henan Province on the Central Plains of China, who has evidence for skeletal dysplasia characterised by proportional stunting of the long bones and a small axial skeleton, generalised osteopenia, and non-fusion of epiphyses. We provide a detailed differential diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia with paediatric onset and conclude that this is likely a form of hypopituitarism or hypothyroidism, an extremely rare finding within the archaeological context. This paper highlights the issues of distinguishing the forms of proportional dwarfism in palaeopathology because of the considerable variation in manifestation of these conditions. Finally, we assess whether there were any health and social implications for this person and community through the consideration of a bioarchaeology of care approach across the lifecourse, burial context, and information on social perceptions of ‘difference’ in the community.标题：中国新石器时代不同的成长历程：一个青壮年骨发育异常案例的情景分析及鉴别诊断本文以中国中原地区河南省新石器时代晚期仰韶文化关家遗址（公元前3300年～2900年）的一个青壮年为研究对象。该个体表现出骨骼发育异常，包括长骨成比例发育不良，较小的中轴骨，全身骨质稀少，及骨骺不融合。我们对该个体进行了儿科骨骼发育不良的详细鉴别诊断，并得出结论，这可能是垂体功能减退或甲状腺功能减退的一种形式。这在考古学背景下是极为罕见的发现。由于各矮化疾病的表现形式有较大的变异性，本文着重讨论了在古病理学中分辨不同形式的成比例矮化的问题。最后，我们结合对整个生命历程的生物考古护理研究、埋葬背景、“差异”个体的社会认知等信息，评估是否对该个体和社区有健康或社会影响。

The impact of Holocene alluvial landscape evolution on an ancient settlement in the southeastern piedmont of Songshan Mountain, Central China: A study from the Shiyuan site

The Central Plains of China have long been argued to be swampy during the middle Holocene, despite the presence of many Neolithic sites in the area. Here, we investigate this contradiction using a combination of geoarchaeological and geospatial methods to reconstruct the alluvial landscape at the Shiyuan site, located along the southeastern piedmont of Songshan Mountain. Our results indicate that the river valley started to aggrade sometime before 10,000 BP, incise from 10,000 to 9000 BP, aggrade again from 9000 to 4000 BP, and then heavily incise after 4000 BP. Our results also show that during the late Yangshao period (5000 BP), the landscape around Shiyuan had many rivers, lakes, and wetlands but these aqueous areas are not all contiguous, revealing a mosaic of different environments. Most of the archaeological sites, including Shiyuan, are located on landforms that are naturally elevated, providing these Neolithic villages with an ample supply of nearby aquatic resources. Contrary to suggestions that Neolithic villages were primarily reliant on dry farming, these wetland environments provided an important and overlooked part of the Neolithic landscape in Central China.

Reconstruction of sunspot activity, cold and warm events, and drought and flood events in the central plain of China during the northern Song Dynasty using historical documents

The Northern Song Dynasty was an important and prosperous dynasty in the history of China, and it existed during a period of climate abnormality. Climate change research for the Northern Song Dynasty era has significance for understanding the interaction between agricultural civilizations in the central plains and nomadic populations in northern China, transfer of the economic and cultural centers of China, and the vicissitudes of the Northern Song Dynasty. There is currently considerable disagreement regarding climate change in the Central Plain during the Northern Song Dynasty era. Many precious and valuable historical documents and records about the Northern Song Dynasty have been collected, and abundant records of sunspot activity, cold and warm weather, drought and flood events have been compiled. Using the Mann-Kendall test, wavelet analysis, R/S analysis, and frequency analysis etc. mathematical statistics methods, sunspot activity, cold and warm events, and drought and flood events were quantitatively reconstructed. There are 15 sunspot maximum years and 16 sunspot minimum years, the cycle length of sunspot activity is 8–14 years, and the average cycle length is 11 years. Hot years account for 11.3% of the total years; warm years account for 12.7%; cold years account for 20.7%; and freezing cold years account for 3.3%. Mann-Kendall test results show that cold and warm variations are natural fluctuations, and there is no indication of abrupt climate change during the Northern Song Dynasty. Morlet wavelet analysis indicates that there are weak high-frequency oscillations and short oscillation periods with three years before 1052 AD, and there are oscillation periods of six years and clear alternations between warmth and cold during 1060-1120 AD. R/S analysis indicates that the Hurst index (H) of cold and warm index series is 0.6155, and the fractal dimension (D) is 1.3845. Since 0.5 < H < 1 and 1 < D < 1.5, fractal structures are evident in the time series of cold and warm indexes, past increments are positively correlated with future increments, and the average cycle length in the time series for cold and warm indexes is 6 years. Temperatures first decreased rapidly followed by a slow increase with long-term fluctuations, and the mean temperature during the Northern Song Dynasty era is 0.4 °C higher than that in the period 1880–1979 AD. Severe drought, moderate drought, moderate flood, severe flood and normal years account for 15.3%, 25.3%, 11.3%, 6.7%, 41.4% of all years, respectively. Frequency analysis indicates that cooling, warming, drought and flood events show a close relationship to sunspot activity.

What’s that big thing on your head? Diagnosis of a large frontoparietal lesion on an Eastern Zhou skull from Henan, China

We carried out a differential diagnosis of a large frontoparietal lesion on a human skull from a Late Bronze Age archaeological site located on the Central Plain of China, dating to between 771 and 476 BC. The head of this individual was covered in cinnabar, a mercury-based pigment that later was used for medicinal purposes in China. The lesion was well-circumscribed and involved the outer and inner tables of the skull, slight diploë thickening, and coarsening of bone trabeculae with expansion of intertrabecular spaces. We show that the observed changes are most consistent with cavernous hemangioma of the skull, a benign vascular malformation that preferentially affects older adults. Hemangiomas are often neglected in the paleopathological literature because of their benign nature - they tend to be asymptomatic and do not affect quality of life to a significant degree. Nevertheless, they produce characteristic lesions that can be confused with several other conditions with unrelated etiologies, including congenital hemoglabinopathies, traumas, malignant or benign neoplasms, and Paget’s disease. We outline the diagnostic criteria that distinguish cavernous hemangioma from other conditions affecting the skull.

Geomorphic changes along the Yiluo River influenced the emergence of the first urban center at the Erlitou Site, Central Plains of China

Geomorphological research at archaeological sites has shown that ancient environmental conditions have significant implications for understanding changes in archaeological site distribution and layout. The Luoyang Basin in Central China was a center for early urbanism including several large cities in antiquity, but the geomorphic environments that supported these ancient cities have remained uninvestigated. From 2006 to 2011, a field project was conducted in the Luoyang Basin in attempt to understand the relationship between environmental changes and the development of urbanism. Forty-nine profiles were sampled on the alluvial terraces of the Luoyang Basin to examine the geomorphological evolutionary history of the Yi River and Luo River. Our study indicates that the T1 Terrace formed around 7000 cal yr BP and provided a stable landform for Yangshao (7000-5000 yr BP) and Longshan (5000-3900 yr BP) settlements. However, massive floods around 4000-3800 yr BP destroyed some of these late Longshan settlements and caused the Luo River to change its course to southern part of the Luoyang Basin. Those floods significantly altered the landforms and laid a solid foundation for the succeeding development of the urban center at Erlitou.

Recent development of a refined multiple air pollutant emission inventory of vehicles in the Central Plains of China

Central Plains region of China, represented by Henan Province, is facing serious air pollution problems. Vehicular exhaust emissions had adverse impacts on the atmospheric environment. The first comprehensive and novel vehicle emission inventory for Henan Province using vehicle kilometers traveled, localized emission factors, and activity data at city-level was developed. Furthermore, 3 km × 3 km gridded emission and temporal variations were determined by using localized information. Results show that the total emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), particular matter with aerodynamic diameter < 10 μm (PM10), aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 μm (PM2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), VOCs-evaporation and ammonia in 2015 were 9.1, 533.4, 1190.7, 23.7, 21.6, 150.8, 31.5 and 10.4 Gg, respectively, and the emission intensities of the above pollutants were 0.05, 2.7, 6.0, 0.1, 0.1, 0.8, 0.2 and 0.05 g/km, respectively. Vehicles meeting the Primary China 1, China 3 and China 4 contributed 89.1%, 82.7%, 75.3%, 75.5%, 75.5%, 68.2%, 68.4% and 82.3% for SO2, NOx, CO, PM10, PM2.5, VOCs, VOCs-evaporation and ammonia emissions, respectively. Zhengzhou, Zhoukou, Nanyang, Luoyang, Shangqiu and Xinyang showed relatively higher emissions and contributed more than 50% of each pollutant. The spatial distribution indicated obvious characteristics of the road network, and high-level emission was concentrated in the downtown areas. Additionally, the ozone formation potential (OFP) based on the estimated speciated VOC emissions was 569.6 Gg in Henan Province. Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons were the main species of VOCs, whereas olefins contributed the largest proportion of OFP, with 42.2%.

Electrochemical Studies on Local Corrosion Behavior Mechanism of Super Ferrite Stainless Steel in Low-temperature Geothermal Water Environment

Super ferrite stainless steel as a new material in heat transfer equipment has applied widely in foreign coastal power plants because of its high strength, low coefficient of thermal expansion, and corrosion resistance. In this paper, stainless steel materials with S44660 super ferrite and 316L were selected as research objects. The corrosion and scaling of S44660 and 316L in model geothermal water (environmental conditions of geothermal water in the central plain of China) were studied by the electrochemical tests, weight loss method. The electrochemical results show that the corrosion resistance of S44660 is better than that of 316L in geothermal water. Weight loss tests and microscopic analysis indicate that S44660 is easier to form scale than 316L.

Does Straw Return Strategy Influence Soil Carbon Sequestration and Labile Fractions?

Core Ideas Returning crop residues increased maize and wheat yields. Returning crop residues increase soil organic carbon in the surface 20 cm. Returning crop residues increase several soil labile organic C fractions. The adoption of wheat straw return including stubbles 25–30 cm in height and maize straw return in combination with sub‐soiling is an optimal straw–return strategies for sustainable crop production. Returning the crop residues has been documented to increase soil carbon storage. However, the impacts of different straw return strategies on soil C fractions and sustainable crop productivity are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the impact of different residue management systems on grain yields, SOC sequestration, and soil C fractions in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–maize (Zea mays L.) double cropping system over 6 yr. The straw return strategies included no straw return (CK), conventional wheat straw return (WC), modified wheat straw return (WM), conventional maize straw return (MC), modified maize straw return (MM), conventional straw return for both wheat and maize (WC+MC), and modified straw return for both wheat and maize (WM+MM). The annual average grain yields of maize and wheat when compared to crop residue removal were increased by 32.5 and 50.5% than when the wheat straw and corn stover was not harvested, respectively. Compared to the initial value, the SOC stock increased over a 6 yr by 16.4% period when the wheat straw and corn stover was not harvested. The concentrations of microbial biomass C, very labile C, labile C, KMnO4–oxidizable C, and C management index were increased by returning the crop residue. Overall, the results suggested that the integrated and modified return strategy of both wheat and maize straw is an optimal way of sustainable crop production under the intensive wheat–maize double cropping rotation in the North–central Plain of China.

고구려와 수·당의 전쟁, 무엇을 바꾸었나?

This article considers the meaning of Goguryeo-Sui War and Goguryeo-Tang War in East Asian history in terms of both state system and international relations. These wars were a continuation of great war mobilizing large-scale armies. Mobilization of large-scale armies was based on the reformation of the weapon and military systems, which was paired up with the aligning of a centralized state system. It also promoted the strengthening of centralization and made power of influence. In the 7th century, Baekje, Silla, and Japan engaged directly or indirectly in the war, and strengthened the centralized state system. This interlocking was closely related to the development of transportation. War was accompanied by the development of transportation, because it was possible by moving militaries and military supplies. Overland, waterborne and marine traffic route connecting Northeast Asia, inland Asia, and Central Plains of China developed evenly. The alignment of a centralized state system in several East Asian countries was achieved through cultural exchanges, and the development of transportation vitalized this. The development of transportation accompanied by war led East Asia to one world of history. Goguryeo-Sui War and Goguryeo-Tang War in the 7th century called for change based on the change of ancient society in East Asia.

Maternal genetic and phylogenetic characteristics of domesticated cattle in northwestern China.

Northwestern China, an important part of the Silk Road, was the birthplace of the Zhouzu farming culture. The domestication of cattle as an important aspect of farming culture has had a long history in northwestern China. In this study, we assessed the maternal structure and phylogeny of cattle by analyzing the mitochondrial DNA hypervariable segment I (HVS-I) in 698 native cattle from eight areas of northwestern China. The phylogenetic analyses revealed two highly divergent mtDNA clades: clade T, which had four sub-clades (Ta—Td), and clade I. The cattle domesticated from Bos taurus showed a clear dominant distribution pattern in northwestern China. The nucleotide diversity of the Bos indicus clade was lower than that of clades from Bos taurus. In summary, our results suggest that the native cattle of northwestern China were domesticated from two different maternal ancestors, Bos taurus and Bos indicus, which migrated to the central plains of China from the north and south, respectively, with Bos taurus remaining at the edges of the region. The population expansion of the cattle domesticated from Bos taurus occurred in the Longdong region of Gansu Province, and these cattle formed four relatively independent evolutionary branches. Subsequent to this expansion event, Bos indicus migrated from southern to northern China.

Cereal processing technique inferred from use-wear analysis at the Neolithic site of Jiahu, Central China

Studies investigating different food processing techniques have shed light on the dietary habits and subsistence strategies adopted by prehistoric populations. They have shown that grinding cereals into flour has taken place since the Palaeolithic period, yet the grinding method employed has often not been investigated. The analysis presented here identified different types of use-wear traces associated with the dry-grinding and wet-grinding of cereals, which can be used to infer prehistoric grinding techniques. Applying this reference baseline to Jiahu, an early Neolithic site known for the earliest findings of domesticated rice in the central plain of China, reveals that dry-grinding rather than wet-grinding was employed for cereal (including rice) processing 9000 years ago. This grinding method could have been inherited from the earlier hunter-gatherers, but could also result from a broad-spectrum subsistence strategy adopted at Jiahu. By comparing the properties and ethnographic uses of different plant species, it is also suggested that cereals such as rice were a more sensible choice for the dry-grinding process.

New insights into the grinding tools used by the earliest farmers in the central plain of China

The site of Jiahu in the central plain of China is known for its early rice cultivation 9000 years ago. The preliminary starch analysis implies that the Jiahu grinding tools were used for processing various plants, including rice. This paper presents the use-wear analysis carried out on a sample of seventeen grinding tools from Jiahu, nine of which were previously analyzed for the presence of starch. Use-wear traces associated with processing cereal and wood-like material were identified. This result confirms important evidence of cereal processing in the early Neolithic period. It also reveals the diversity of functions in the grinding tool assemblage. Furthermore, the use-wear distribution indicates that grinding slabs without feet and cylindrical rollers were mainly associated with the processing of cereals while grinding slabs with feet were mainly related to the processing of wood-like material. Quantitative analysis of the starch data also indicates that grinding slabs without feet possess more starch grains than the grinding slabs with feet. Therefore, it is argued that specific types of grinding tools were used for processing specific kinds of material. This study highlights the different roles grinding tools may have played in early farming societies.

Sorting and identification of Rehmannia glutinosa germplasm resources based on EST-SSR, scanning electron microscopy micromorphology, and quantitative taxonomy

Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. is a valuable medicinal and industrial crop, in the clinical use of traditional Chinese medicine has been a thousand years of history, grown widely in the central plain of China. Different cultivars have wide differences in crop yield and quality. Furthermore, long-term mixed cultivation has led to a serious confusion between Rehmannia glutinosa germplasms, which has significantly restricted the breeding of fine cultivars. In this study, 25 core Rehmannia glutinosa germplasms were collected and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to obtain micromorphology. Quantitative taxonomy was then used to identify the genetic relationship between the Rehmannia glutinosa germplasms. Forty agronomic traits, including 24 scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micromorphology traits, were chosen to construct the quantitative taxonomy dendrogram. In addition, expressed sequence tags (EST) derived microsatellite markers were also identified and validated in the 25 different Rehmannia glutinosa germplasms to confirm the genetic relationships. Based on a combination of these approaches, four new cultivars were discovered, and were given the standard names “Huaidihuang 01 2017, Huaidihuang 02 2017, Huaidihuang 03 2017 and Huaidihuang 04 2017” according to the international code of nomenclature for cultivated plants (ICNCP) (1995 edition). The study has provided important pollen and seed micromorphology data, as well as genetic diversity data, that can be used as basis for the scientific classification and identification of Rehmannia glutinosa cultivars. It also indicates the hierarchical status of the newly identified cultivars, which will help in protecting the germplasm resources, as well as in Rehmannia glutinosa introduction, cultivation, and breeding.

Evidence for crop structure from phytoliths at the Dongzhao site on the Central Plains of China from Xinzhai to Erligang periods

The Dongzhao site is located in Zhengzhou on the Central Plains of China and has been dated to between the late Longshan culture (between 4500 BP and 4000 BP) and the Zhou dynasty (between 3046 BP and 2256 BP). Phytolith analyses were performed on 36, 43, and 14 sediment samples collected from this site, which have been dated to the Xinzhai (between 3870 BP and 3720 BP), Erlitou (between 3735 BP and 3530 BP), and Erligang (between 3600 BP and 3300 BP) periods, respectively, in order to develop a better understanding of agricultural practices and cropping structures during the Xia and Shang dynasties. The results of this study suggest that agricultural practices in use at Dongzhao comprised a mixed farming system in which broomcorn millet, foxtail millet, rice, and wheat were grown. Data show that broomcorn millet was the dominant crop during the Xinzhai and Erligang periods, while the foxtail millet was a secondary crop, and that both rice and wheat were minor components of this system. The proportions of rice decreased while those of wheat increased over time through these periods, and high ubiquities of scutiform-bulliform phytoliths from reeds were commonly observed, suggesting that these plants were widely utilized, and probably managed during both the Xinzhai and Erligang periods. The findings reported in this study confirm the fact that phytolith analyses can complement and strengthen interpretations drawn on the basis of other botanical remains within an archaeological context. Analysis of phytoliths, in tandem with interpretation of carbonized plant remains from the Dongzhao site, affords a range of new insights concerning the development of agricultural structures on the Central Plains of China during the Xia and Shang dynasties, and provides new evidence highlighting the probable relationship between agricultural structures and the origin and early development of Chinese civilization.

Late Middle Palaeolithic Subsistence in the Central Plain of China: A Zooarchaeological View from the Laonainaimiao Site, Henan Province

Late Middle Palaeolithic Subsistence in the Central Plain of China: A Zooarchaeological View from the Laonainaimiao Site, Henan Province