Abstract:

The Longshan culture plays a vital role in the evolution of prehistoric social form, and also is a key period of agricultural production strengthened in China. As a regional center in the North Shandong Plain, the exploration of subsistence economy of the Chengziya site will contribute certainly to understanding the process of social complexity and civilization. In this research, phytolith has been used to explore the cultivation of crops, the crop processing methods, the utilization of wild plant resources, and the different human activities reflected by the 15 soil samples assemblages from different archaeological contexts. The results show that the Chengziya residents constructed an agriculture system with foxtail millet, broomcorn millet, rice, wheat, and barnyard millet(likely) and simultaneously gathered wild plants in the Longshan period. Meanwhile, low-requirement broomcorn millet was preferred in the cultivation, intensive field managements such as frequent weeding and irrigation might be practiced during the cultivation of other crop species. After ripening, crops were harvested likely by ear-plucking which led to fewer weeds and crop by-products involved and also later processed on household scales. Furthermore, the analysis based on different archaeological features revealed different aspects on the subsistence economy. The results from pits indicate daily life rubbish, crop processing, and grain cleaning before consumption may take place in different areas while the phytoliths from well and burials reveal more information related to the agricultural economy and plant utilization such as the production and utilization of crops and plants in the daily life and also in the funeral.

Key words: Chengziya site, Longshan Culture, Analysis of phytolith, Subsistence economy, Crop processing