安徽淮北渠沟遗址古人类植物性食物资源利用与石器功能的淀粉粒分析

渠沟遗址是目前淮河中游地区发现的年代最早的新石器遗址,为了解该遗址先民植物性食物资源利用及部分石器功能,本文利用淀粉粒分析方法对遗址出土的15件石器残件进行了表面残留物提取与分析,结果发现了来自粟、薏苡、小麦族、菜豆族等4类植物种属的淀粉粒共24粒,其中粟淀粉粒是迄今为止淮河中游地区年代最早的旱地农作物证据。结合炭化植物遗存分析结果,发现早在距今8800年左右,淮河中游已经产生稻粟兼作的农业模式。观察遗址出土石磨盘、石磨棒与石刀表面淀粉粒残留物的种类以及损伤特征表明,石磨盘和石磨棒在当时曾被用于对粟、小麦族及薏苡等植物种子进行脱壳、碾压或研磨等加工处理,而石刀可能主要用于收割禾本科植物。本文研究结果为探索淮河中游新石器时代中晚期先民植物性食物资源利用、农作物结构演化与石器功能等提供了科学依据。     

辽宁阜新查海遗址早期生业经济研究——来自石器表层残留物淀粉粒的证据

对查海遗址出土的4件石磨盘和石磨棒表层残留物进行的淀粉粒提取和分析表明当时人类的植物性食物较丰富,包括禾本科(Poaceae)植物种子和块根块茎类等,还有一些尚未能确定种属的植物,在各类植物中以禾本科植物最多。结合动物考古及炭化植物分析结果,推测狩猎采集经济在查海先民的生业经济中应占主要地位。同时,数量较多的狗尾草属植物淀粉粒的发现暗示查海遗址可能已经出现对这类植物的集中利用甚至是初期栽培活动。石器表层各类淀粉粒的数量比说明禾本科植物是查海遗址石磨盘和磨棒最主要的加工对象。     

内黄三杨庄遗址汉代旋转磨功能的淀粉粒分析

谷物由粒食向粉食的转变,是中国饮食发展的重要节点。以往研究多认为旋转磨的普及是完成这一饮食习惯变化的重要标志之一,并以粟对应粒食,以小麦对应粉食,默认秦汉时期的旋转磨主要用于加工小麦。对三杨庄遗址出土汉代旋转磨的淀粉残留物分析表明,粉食粟亦为汉代农户重要的消费方式。因此,由粒食向粉食的转变,不能简单地等同于为食粟向食麦的转变。旋转磨应当更多地被视为一种多功能粮食加工平台。     

金沙遗址玉器的材质来源探讨

成都金沙遗址是迄今为止我国发现玉器最多的遗址,通过对其中551件玉器材质鉴定的结果发现,最主要的材质类型为透闪石集合体构成的软玉。通过对软玉型玉器的宏观特征、显微特征、玉器和石器的矿物及岩石组合特征研究,以及与四川汶川龙溪玉、新疆和田玉特征的对比,并且采用ICPMS进行主要玉器类型和玉料的微量元素特征的研究,同时结合现代资料和古代史料,认为金沙出土的玉器主要的材质应该来自于汶川的龙溪玉,与新疆和田玉、良渚玉器没有关系,但同时也存在其他地区玉料甚至是玉器交流的可能。     

湖北青龙泉遗址东周时期墓葬出土人骨的稳定同位素分析

本文应用稳定同位素分析技术对湖北青龙泉遗址东周时期墓葬出土人骨中的C、N同位素比值进行了测定。结果显示:青龙泉遗址东周时期居民日常饮食习惯中保持着较低比例的动物性食物摄入,植物类食物的摄入中以C3类植物为主,很可能来源于稻谷,还有部分C4类植物的摄入,来源于粟米。本文的研究可以为复原青龙泉遗址东周时期居民的经济模式研究提供有益的线索。     

基于地层钻孔数据探讨二里头遗址的边界问题

近年来,考古发掘工作深化了对二里头遗址内部聚落形态和都邑布局的认识,但遗址外部边界问题仍存在诸多疑点,尤其是遗址西南部文化遗存与自然沉积混杂,增加了研究难度。本文基于2023～2024年考古钻探的地层信息,运用地貌学与沉积学方法,对遗址边缘区域的地层和沉积特征进行研究。研究发现,27个钻孔地层信息反映出二里头遗址西南方向在二里头时期存在遗址区、滨河漫滩区、河床区三类沉积环境。伊河与洛河的侵蚀、搬运和堆积,以及频繁的洪水事件对二里头的遗迹现象造成了不同程度的破坏,小型湖沼、水塘交错分布的局部地貌环境也是二里头遗址边界断续且不规整的原因之一。     

喇家遗址先民食物的初步探讨——喇家遗址灾难现场出土人骨的碳氮稳定同位素分析

本文通过喇家遗址房址出土人骨的碳氮稳定同位素以及相关遗存分析探讨其食物结构。分析结果显示,喇家人以粟黍为其主食,并辅以一定比例的肉类,体现出旱作农业区的食物特征。     

Using plant microfossils from dental calculus to recover human diet: a case study from Tell al-Raqā'i,Syria

Dietary reconstructions based on plant microfossils, such as starch grains and phytoliths, have been useful in increasing our understanding of past human populations. Microfossils have been recovered from sediments, stone tools, and, more recently, dental calculus. Methods for recovering microfossils from dental calculus have yet to be firmly established and there is some question about potential damage to the teeth. Using a sample of teeth from the middle Holocene site of Tell al-Raqā'i, Syria, we tested using a dental pick to sample the calculus. ESEM images taken before and after sampling show no damage to the enamel surface, and examination of the recovered microfossils show that this method provides ample material for study, even when not all of the calculus is removed from the tooth. Preliminary identification of the plant microfossils suggests that these individuals were consuming a variety of plant foods, but that domesticated cereals such as wheat and barley made up a surprisingly small portion of their diet.     

New insights into the consumption of maize and other food plants in the pre-Columbian Caribbean from starch grains trapped in human dental calculus

In a first region wide study, starch grains from human dental calculus from the pre-Columbian insular Caribbean (dating to ca. 350 B.C.–A.D. 1600) are used to identify important plant foods in the diet and to assess potential dietary differences related to age or sex. Results give important insights into pre-Columbian maize (Zea mays) consumption throughout the region, confirming recent studies that indicate that maize was more commonly consumed in the insular Caribbean than originally thought. No age or sex based differences in maize consumption were found. Furthermore, based on the results of new experiments regarding grinding and pressure damage to starch grains, it is clear that maize in the Caribbean was ground, baked and consumed as bread as was the case in large parts of the mainland. Based on our results we tentatively suggest maize consumption in the Caribbean was at least in some cases associated with feasting and ceremonial activities. The variety in other plant foods identified (mostly tuberous root crops) shows that the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the region consumed a broad spectrum, but locally variable diet in which a variety of root crops functioned as staple crops, including marunguey (Zamia sp.) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). We found no indications for the traditionally assumed heavy reliance on manioc (Manihot esculenta) cultivation in the region.     

河南西平县谢老庄遗址调查简报

2012年,驻马店文物工作者对驻马店市西平县谢老庄遗址进行了调查与初步勘探,采集的裴李岗文化和龙山文化遗物较丰富,有陶器、石器、动物骨角器及牙齿等。该遗址的发现为研究裴李岗文化贾湖类型增添了新资料,为研究淮河流域上游驻马店区域内史前文化发展序列提供了新的实物依据。     

河南舞阳贾湖遗址2001年春发掘简报

贾湖遗址 2 0世纪 80年代中期六次发掘的资料公布之后① ,引起学术界的广泛关注② 。但限于当时的发掘水平 ,发掘中忽略了不少有价值的信息 ,使有些方面的研究无法深入进行。同时 ,中国科技大学科技史与科技考古系为了使科技考古专业的学生受到田野考古的训练 ,并探索使田野考古与科技考古如何融为一体的途径 ,2 0 0 1年春 ,经国家文物局批准 ,中国科技大学科技史与科技考古系和河南省文物考古研究所合作 ,在舞阳县博物馆的配合下 ,对贾湖遗址进行了第七次发掘。 (图一 )发掘期间 ,邀请了中国社会科学院考古研究所、中国农业大学、中国科学…     

Dental wash: a problematic method for extracting microfossils from teeth

A variety of microfossils, originating from plant foods, become trapped in the dental calculus matrix. Processing of dental calculus allows extraction of these microfossils. The resulting data can be used to reconstruct diet at the individual and population levels as the identification of microfossils like starch grains and phytoliths to the generic level, and sometimes to the species level, is possible. However, in some archaeological sites, dental calculus deposits do not preserve well enough to be processed. To prevent the loss of information in such cases, we present a technique, called “dental wash”. It permits extracting microfossils from cryptic dental calculus deposits. In the two experimental archaeological cases presented herein we identified phytoliths, starch grains as well as a diatom fragment with this method, whereas in a control sample no microfossils were found. Moderate damage to the teeth was detected when they were already friable due to poor preservation. Minor damage to the surface of well-preserved teeth was observed. This indicates that the proposed method is efficient in recovering microfossils, but unacceptable because of damage to teeth. If the method can be refined, it will expand the potential of dental calculus analysis to a greater range of archeological sites.     

青海互助丰台卡约文化遗址孢粉分析与人类活动研究——化石和现代表土花粉分析结果

采用相差分析方法,区分出禾本科植物中的农作物花粉;通过对青海互助丰台卡约文化遗址文化层和丰台村周围现代表土样品的孢粉分析,发现孢粉组合中有农作物花粉,反映人类农耕活动对聚落及其周围孢粉组合有明显的影响;文化层样品的孢粉组合显示,卡约文化早期阶段,禾本科植物花粉明显多于晚期阶段,可能反映了卡约文化时期(约公元前1200-800年)农业在社会经济中地位逐步下降的过程;孢粉组合还显示,与现代丰台村相比,卡约文化时期,聚落周围有更多的禾本科植物生长,人类可利用的植物资源比现代丰富。研究结果将有助于综合研究西北地区青铜时代环境与人类文化的关系。     

Arsenic in Danish and Swedish Mesolithic and Neolithic human bones – diet or diagenesis?

Arsenic has previously been measured in a bone sample of a c. 5-year-old Mesolithic child from Nivaagaard in Denmark yielding an anomalously high value of 13 μg/g. In the present work we show that other individuals at a nearby site also exhibit elevated arsenic levels, whereas individuals from other Mesolithic sites in Denmark are found to have quite low As-concentrations. Several attempts to reveal the source of the arsenic are reported: A railway track near the site, where the railway sleepers were suspected to have been impregnated with As leading to transport or diffusion of As into the adjacent soil; Several food items, the remains of which were found at the site, and one food item not preserved in the excavation, i.e. seaweed. Finally, it is shown that the most likely explanation of the elevated arsenic levels in human bones at Nivaa is diagenesis.