Discovery and Significance of the Grain of Wild Rice in Ancient-Woods Layer in Zhujiajian Island of Zhejiang Province, China

A large number of plant remains were discovered in the ancient-woods layer of Zhujiajian Island, Zhejiang Province.There were some thick trunks, complete laminas, fruit, seeds and so on. According to radiocarbon tests conducted for plant remains, the ancient-woods layer has been dated back to about 8750 - 6200 years, and the vegetation was a subtropical evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests on the island in the past. In the middle of the ancient-woods layer, two grains of wild rice were explored accidentally, which are Oryza rufipogon, along with the fruit and seeds of some water plants, such as Ceratophyllum demersum, C. oryzetorum, Euryale ferox, Trapa incisa var. quadricaudata , Scirpus yagara and so on. There might be marshy soil and a pond in ancient forest vegetation from where the grains of wild rice and hydrophytic fruit were found. It is of tremendous importance to study the origin of wild rice in China.     

民族学视野下的史前农业生产方式探析

农业的发展是极其复杂的一个过程,其内涵也十分丰富,就以往的史前农业研究而言,类似"当时已有农业"、"当时以农业为主,兼营狩猎采集经济"等结论并没有说明当时的社会经济运行状态。本文通过对农业内涵的定义分析、民族学材料的比较研究,确立史前农业可能存在的生产类型,并结合各种食物生产类型的特点,构建出能够表现史前农业生产结构的七种组合方式。     

Pre‐Columbian fisheries catch reconstruction for a subtropical estuary in South America

Small‐scale fisheries provide food and livelihoods for thousands of people along the Brazilian coastline. However, considerable uncertainties still surround the extent to which artisanal and subsistence fisheries contribute to the total of national landings and their historical ecological significance. Fisheries monitoring is deficient in Brazil, and historical records are limited to irregular accounts spanning the last few decades, while this coastline has supported human populations for at least 6,000 years. Here, we estimate pre‐Columbian subsistence catches for a large subtropical estuary in southern Brazil. Our results suggest that prehistoric populations may have extracted volumes of fish biomass higher than or comparable with historical subsistence fisheries in the region, and that the latter is likely underestimated. If a long‐term perspective is required to evaluate the current economic value and status of fisheries in subtropical and tropical South America, this should go beyond the historical time interval and integrate the contribution of pre‐Columbian archaeology.     

基于模拟实验的淀粉粒形态变化及其农业考古学意义——以小麦为例

[目的]为了迅速准确的对中国各农业遗址中的淀粉粒残留物进行鉴定,需要进行现代植物淀粉粒形态变化研究和模拟实验分析不同试剂和实验处理方法对淀粉粒形态的影响。[方法]研究现代小麦成熟过程中淀粉粒形态变化,完成了对成熟小麦的一系列模拟试验,如：研磨、超声波处理、盐酸和双氧水处理、干燥处理。[结果]成熟过程中小麦淀粉粒经历了由小到大的变化,最后稳定在由大、小两组淀粉粒组成;研钵研磨会使小麦淀粉粒粒径增大;较长时间的超声波处理使得小麦淀粉粒粒径增大;浓度为10%的盐酸和浓度为6%双氧水对小麦淀粉粒的影响很小;低温干燥处理不会使小麦淀粉粒出现糊化。[结论]该研究结论可有效地指导考古遗址古代样品淀粉粒分析实验流程以及处理参数的选择,提高了淀粉粒分析的效率和结果的可靠性。同时也为中国的农业起源和作物传播的研究提供了基础实验资料。     

家禽起源与驯化研究进展

随着全基因组扫描技术的突破及学科交叉互动,近年来家禽起源、驯化研究取得了一些重要进展。家禽为人类提供肉、蛋及羽绒,也用于宗教礼仪及文化生活。在人类文明进程中驯养家禽占据不可或缺的地位。分子生物学技术及考古学研究表明,家禽驯化是一个复杂而漫长过程,家禽适应人类改变了形态、行为及生理,人类因家禽出现改变了饮食结构及行为方式。家禽来源于野生物种,不同的家禽在不同地点由不同族群独立驯化而成,驯化过程伴随其他物种基因渗入。揭示家禽起源不仅是一个科学问题,对保护家禽遗传多样性及遗传育种都有重要意义,未来全基因组扫描及花粉考古有望成为家禽驯化研究热点。     

An archaeopedological and phytolitarian study of the “Dark Earth” on the site of Rue de Dinant (Brussels, Belgium)

During the excavations of the site of Rue de Dinant in the historic centre of Brussels (Belgium), remains of the first city wall dating from the 13th century have been discovered. Intra muros thick dark sediment units predating this wall are observed. These dark units are among the oldest occupation traces so far encountered in this higher, eastern, part of the historic centre of Brussels. In order to characterise them, and to understand the human activities and natural processes behind their formation, an interdisciplinary research, integrating archaeopedology and phytolith study, has been undertaken. This approach permitted us to identify a range of natural and cultural processes leading to the formation of these dark layers, and to characterise different activities. Remains of a hearth, old plough land (cropfields) and grassland have been identified, all activities referring to a rural landscape organisation. Later on, the area changes into an enormous silt extraction area, whereby Dark Earth is thrown into the dug pits. Finally, the construction of the first city wall marks the area as becoming part of the city. The study of Dark Earth shows to be a potentially valuable tool to shed light on the development and spatial organisation of pre-urban Brussels, a historically very poorly documented period.     

A Marquesan coral reef (French Polynesia) in historical context: an integrated socio‐ecological approach

• 1. Marine biologists are increasingly aware of the impact that even small human populations can have on coral reefs around the world, while conservationists and fisheries managers have a growing appreciation of the importance of culturally informed management strategies in coral reef conservation efforts. Despite these recognitions, however, examples of integrated field studies are limited.
• 2. In this paper evidence from various disciplines is used to study the interaction between humans and one of the largest reefs in the Marquesas Islands, at Anaho Bay, Nuku Hiva Island, with the aim of assessing possible anthropogenic impacts over time.
• 3. First, it reports on a marine biological survey of the benthic substrates of the bay and the taxonomic composition and spatial distributions of the local fish species. Second, it draws on results from an ongoing archaeological study and integrates these with interviews of village elders to gain a historical perspective on the reef and potential human impacts.
• 4. The biological results indicated that the reef is in a state of decline, although fish densities are moderately high. The archaeological evidence, in turn, demonstrates that human populations have occupied this valley for at least the last 700 years. Throughout this period marine resources have been an important source of both food and raw materials for tools. The archaeological study also highlights aspects of landscape change, both natural and human‐induced, that probably have been detrimental to reef health.
• 5. Using the combined biological and anthropological data, this paper considers the nexus of factors that have led to the current reef conditions and considers management issues for the future. Key in this regard are processes that have initiated erosion and soil run‐off, and fluctuations in the local human populations.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

茶陵独岭坳遗址红烧土中稻谷印痕的研究

用扫描电镜对独岭坳遗址红烧土中解剖出来的15粒稻谷印痕进行了观察研究,发现其粒形似籼而双峰乳突纵横排列特征近于粳稻,尚留有茶陵野生稻的某些特征,推测属于二向演化的原始小粒栽培粳稻类型.     

Recent Evidence of Animal Exploitation in the Axumite Epoch, 1st– 5th Centuries AD

This study reports evidence of animal exploitation during the Axumite era based on a survey of architectural features, rock art and artefacts recovered from the archaeological site at Axum, northern Ethiopia. Animals and agricultural tools were identified from materials not previously examined. Pottery, rock art and animal remains revealed a range of zoological species. Agricultural implements and sacrificial vessels also provided indirect evidence of animal exploitation. It is concluded that, in addition to plough-based agriculture, the hunting of large wild animals, such as elephants and lions, and the exploitation of domestic cattle, small ruminants and poultry were part of the Axumite subsistence regime. Although it is difficult to reconstruct an overall subsistence pattern based on this study alone, the physical and biological evidence suggests that the Axumites practised combined cultivation and animal herding. Further investigation is required to study the types and breeds of animals and their distribution in time and space.     

从考古遗址地层堆积看自然灾害对人类社会的影响

考古遗址的地层堆积特征,为追索遗址废弃的原因提供了可能.通过大量的实例研究,证明了史前的洪涝、干旱、水土流失等自然灾害可以导致古人类居住址的废弃,考古文化的迁移,甚至消亡,但同时也促使了人类适应自然,改造自然能力的提高.从追索考古遗址废弃原因的角度进行考古学研究,这种切入角度在环境考古学研究中具有一定的意义.