Landscape transformations of early rice agriculture: methodological developments and new results in the archaeological identification of arable rice systems in prehistory Introduction: Investigating Weeds in the Early Rice Project Our current NERC-funded project aims to reconstruct early arable systems of rice cultivation, and to better establish how ancient arable rice systems be seen using archaeobotanical data. One method is by building modern analogues using the crop weeds found within each type of cultivation regime. Cultivation conditions can be determined by associated weed flora, diatoms and sponge spicules. Our current research programme based on analogue field studies and a database of rice weeds aims to refine methods for identifying the signature of different rice cultivation regimes through weed seed, phytolith and diatom assemblages. Archaeological samples from the Lower Yangtze from between 5000 and 1800 BC provide samples tracking the evolution of weed flora from Pre- Domestication cultivation (for example at Tianluoshan) to later intensive systems. Alison Weisskopf, Dorian Q Fuller, Ling Qin Institute of Archaeology, University College London Rice Cultivation Systems, associated weeds, and phytolith morphotypes from each system Different cultivation systems produce different flora assemblages. Rice weeds and sediment samples have been collected from a variety of arable systems in India, China, Thailand and Laos, seeds added to a reference collection, and husks, leaves and culms processed for phytolith references. The sediments processed to modern analogues of phytolith assemblages for the various field systems. Analogue study sites, crops and wild Crops Crops Crops Wild Wild Wild Table indicating reported presence of weeds (by genus) across 3 cultivation regimes in India and co-occurring with wild rices Mollugo Trianthema Amaranthus Celosia Psilotrichum Centell Ageratum Bidens Crassocephalum Eclipta Em ilia Synedrella Tridax Ipomoea Commelina Cyanotis Murdannia Cyperus Eleocharis Fimbristylis Scirpus Nymphoides Euphorbia Phyllanthus Aeschynomene Mimosa Neptunia Hydrilla Sida Arundinella Polygonum O. nivara * * * * * * O. rufipogon * * * * * * * Upland rain-fed * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Low land irrigated * * * * * * * * * * * Deepw ater * * * * Atylosia Bracharia Cloris Chionachne Chrysopogon Coix Crypsis Cynodon Dactyloctenium Digitaria Echinochloa Eleusine Eragrostis Imperata Ischaemum Leersia Leptochloa Oryza Panicum Paspalidium Paspalum Pennisetum Setaria Eichhornia Portulaca Borreria Oldenlandia Ilysanthes Lindernia Scoparia Melochia O. nivara * * * * * * O. rufipogon * * * * * * * * * Upland rain-fed * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Low land irrigated * * * * * * * * * * * Deepw ater * * * * * Rain fed inundated rice, Laos Harvested paddy fields and transplanted rice, Laos Deep water wild rice (Rufipogon) reserve, Laos Harvested upland rice and weeds, Laos Brachiaria husk phytoliths Heliotropium indicum Digitaria adscendans husk Cyperus compactus & Mimosa pudica Leersia hexandra leaf Marsilea crenata Cyperus pilosus husk, from deep water rice at Pratchnaburi, Thailand Ipomea aquatica Late Majiabang paddy field systems at Chuodun, photo (left), plan (right) Similar Caoxieshan field features sampled April. 2008. ~4000-3800 BC Mutlivariates analysis: Canonical Corresponence Analysis of phytolith assemblages Baligang (Yangshao-Longshan (3500-1800 BC)) Tianluoshan (Hemudu Period (5000- 4500 BC)) Majiabang (Majiabang period 4500- 3800 BC)) Xiaodouli (Songze Period: 3800- Baligang Maoshan Tianluoshan More rice More panicoids More weedy grasses NERC Natural Environment Research Council UCL and PKU Peking University, Zhejiang Institute and Suzhou Museum & Indian Colleagues- Deccan College Pune, Allahabad University, Karnatak University NAFRI in LAOS and The Royal Rice Reserve, Thailand Professor Sato, Chikai Muto Melissa Tan Eleanor Kingwell Banham Professor Kajale Professor Mohanty Emma Harvey Acknowledgements Rain fed, transplanted rice, Western Ghats INDIA, Preliminary Results, modern field analogues, India Lowland, rain fed, Orissa Preliminary results suggest there are differences in the proportions of phytolith morphotypes that make up the modern field samples from India The samples can be grouped by site and to some extent by system – this should become clear when more samples have been analysed Preliminary Results: archaeological samples, China Phytoliths indicate increased weed vs. rice input Includes husk and culm throughout: not a major crop-processing bias Pytoliths indicate increase in weed diversity, especially grasses through time Reduction of sedges through time
Landscape transformations of early rice agriculture: methodological developments and new results in the archaeological identification of arable rice systems.
Jan 11, 2016
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Landscape transformations of early rice agriculture: methodological developments and new results in the archaeological identification of arable rice systems in prehistory
Introduction: Investigating Weeds in the Early Rice Project
Our current NERC-funded project aims to reconstruct early arable systems of rice cultivation, and to better establish how ancient arable rice systems be seen using archaeobotanical data. One method is by building modern analogues using the crop weeds found within each type of cultivation regime. Cultivation conditions can be determined by associated weed flora, diatoms and sponge spicules. Our current research programme based on analogue field studies and a database of rice weeds aims to refine methods for identifying the signature of different rice cultivation regimes through weed seed, phytolith and diatom assemblages. Archaeological samples from the Lower Yangtze from between 5000 and 1800 BC provide samples tracking the evolution of weed flora from Pre-Domestication cultivation (for example at Tianluoshan) to later intensive systems.
Alison Weisskopf, Dorian Q Fuller, Ling QinInstitute of Archaeology, University College London
Rice Cultivation Systems, associated weeds, and phytolith morphotypes from each systemDifferent cultivation systems produce different flora assemblages. Rice weeds and sediment samples have been collected from a variety of arable systems in India, China, Thailand and Laos, seeds added to a reference collection, and husks, leaves and culms processed for phytolith references. The sediments processed to modern analogues of phytolith assemblages for the various field systems.
Analogue study sites, crops and wild
Crops
Crops
Crops
Wild
Wild
Wild
Table indicating reported presence of weeds (by genus) across 3 cultivation regimes in India and co-occurring with wild rices
Mollugo
Trianthema
Amaranthus
Celosia
Psilotrichum
Centell
Ageratum
Bidens
Crassocephalum
Eclipta
Emilia
SynedrellaTridax
Ipomoea
Com
melina
Cyanotis
Murdannia
Cyperus
Eleocharis
Fimbristylis
Scirpus
Nym
phoides
EuphorbiaPhyllanthus
Aeschynomene
Mim
osaNeptunia
Hydrilla
SidaArundinella
Polygonum
O. nivara * * * * * *O. rufipogon * * * * * * *
Upland rain-fed
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lowland irrigated
* * * * * * * * * * *
Deepwater * * * *
Atylosia
Bracharia
Cloris
Chionachne
Chrysopogon
Coix
Crypsis
Cynodon
Dactyloctenium
Digitaria
EchinochloaEleusine
EragrostisIm
perata
Ischaemum
LeersiaLeptochloa
Oryza
Panicum
Paspalidium
Paspalum
Pennisetum
SetariaEichhornia
Portulaca
BorreriaOldenlandia
Ilysanthes
LinderniaScoparia
Melochia
O. nivara * * * * * *O. rufipogon * * * * * * * * *
Upland rain-fed
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lowland irrigated
* * * * * * * * * * *
Deepwater * * * * *
Rain fed inundated rice, Laos Harvested paddy fields and transplanted rice, Laos
Deep water wild rice (Rufipogon) reserve, Laos
Harvested upland rice and weeds, Laos
Brachiaria husk phytoliths Heliotropium indicum Digitaria adscendans husk Cyperus compactus &Mimosa pudica
Leersia hexandra leaf Marsilea crenata Cyperus pilosus husk, from deep water rice at Pratchnaburi, Thailand
Ipomea aquatica
Late Majiabang paddy field systems at Chuodun, photo (left), plan (right)
Similar Caoxieshan field features sampled April. 2008. ~4000-3800 BC
Mutlivariates analysis: Canonical Corresponence Analysis of phytolith assemblages
Baligang (Yangshao-Longshan (3500-1800 BC))
Tianluoshan (Hemudu Period (5000-4500 BC))
Majiabang (Majiabang period 4500-3800 BC))Xiaodouli (Songze Period: 3800-3300 BC)Maoshan (Liangzhu Period: 3300-2000 BC)
Baligang
Maoshan
Tianluoshan
More rice
More panicoids
More weedygrasses
NERC Natural Environment Research Council UCL and PKUPeking University, Zhejiang Institute and Suzhou Museum& Indian Colleagues-Deccan College Pune, Allahabad University, Karnatak UniversityNAFRI in LAOS and The Royal Rice Reserve, ThailandProfessor Sato, Chikai MutoMelissa Tan Eleanor Kingwell Banham Professor Kajale Professor MohantyEmma Harvey
Acknowledgements
Rain fed, transplanted rice, Western Ghats INDIA,
Preliminary Results, modern field analogues, India
Lowland, rain fed, Orissa
Preliminary results suggest there are differences in the proportions of phytolith morphotypes that make up the modern field samples from India
The samples can be grouped by site and to some extent by system – this should become clear when more samples have been analysed
Preliminary Results: archaeological samples, China
Phytoliths indicate increased weed vs. rice input
Includes husk and culm throughout: not a major crop-processing bias
Pytoliths indicate increase in weed diversity, especially grasses through time
Reduction of sedges through time
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