中国河西走廊东灰山和西灰山作物遗存研究

河西走廊是古代中原文化和西域文化的交叉地带,也是古丝绸之路的重要通道。为了给研究东西方物质和文化交流在中国农业发展史上的作用提供实物证据,对甘肃民乐东灰山和西灰山现有材料采用遗址剖面土壤样本浮选、分拣、鉴定和理化分析方法,以现代作物种子为对照,确定遗址炭化作物籽粒的种类、性状差异及年纪。结果显示,东灰山遗址发现了炭化小麦、大麦、谷子(粟)、糜子(黍、稷)、黑麦、荞麦和燕麦籽粒,以及胡桃壳、枣核等;西灰山遗址发现了炭化小麦、谷子、糜子和大麦籽粒;两个遗址的作物种植结构基本一致。东灰山和西灰山发现的作物以小麦最为古老,距今在3 800~3 600年之间,西灰山小麦种植历史稍早于东灰山。在新石器晚期至青铜器时代,河西走廊的粮食生产已有比较合理的作物种类结构,包括小麦、大麦、谷子、糜子、黑麦、荞麦和燕麦等。炭化小麦籽粒较小,且大小不均匀,说明人工选育程度低。如对东灰山和西灰山作物和植物遗存开展系统性发掘,可能还会有更多新发现或新认知。

Study on the Crop Remains from Donghuishan and Xihuishan in Hexi Corridor,China

Hexi Corridor is the intersection of ancient central plain civilization and western culture,also is an important route of the ancient Silk Road.In order to provide physical evidence for the study of the role of material and cultural exchanges between the East and the West in the history of agricultural development in China,based on the analysis of the existing data of Donghuishan and Xihuishan in Minle,Gansu province,carbonized kernels of crops were sorted using floating method.We determined the crop type,characteristic differences between carbonized kernels and modern crop seeds and age(BP) of carbonized kernels by identification and physical-chemical analysis.This study found the existence of carbonized wheat,barley,millet,proso-millet,rye,buckwheat,oat kernels,walnut shells and date pits in Donghuishan ruins;whereas,carbonized wheat,millet,proso-millet and barley kernels were found in Xihuishan ruins.The crop patterns of the two sites were basically identical.Wheat is the oldest crop found in Donghuishan and Xihuishan,with a history of 3 800-3 600 years.The history of wheat planting in Xihuishan is earlier than that in Donghuishan.In the late Neolithic Bronze Age,the grain production in Hexi Corridor had a reasonable crops pattern,including wheat,barley,millet,proso-millet,rye,buckwheat and oats.The grain size of carbonized wheat is small and uneven,indicating that the degree of artificial breeding is low.If we carry out systematic excavation of crops and plant remains in Donghuishan and Xihuishan,there may be more new discoveries or new cognition.