In order to identify the kinship of Shaolingyuan ancient human excavated from Shaolingyuan archaeological site with high level of certainty, and infer racial origins more clearly and reliably, this paper analyzed the ...In order to identify the kinship of Shaolingyuan ancient human excavated from Shaolingyuan archaeological site with high level of certainty, and infer racial origins more clearly and reliably, this paper analyzed the hereditary constitution of this population. We used the “Reverse root canal technique” to extract ancient DNA from 28 teeth in 28 skeletal remains (3057-2784 BP) of Shaolingyuan archaeological site, obtained the sequences of mtDNA Hypervariable region I (HVR-I) by PCR amplifications;then used MEGA 5.5 software to construct phylogenetic trees and compared the sequences among the sequences of interraces, intraraces. The phylogenetic tree showed that there were two major clusters, Cluster 1 with 16 individuals, and Cluster 2 with 5 individuals. Either the genetic gap or the geographic position of the individuals was small. The frequency of SNP site 16223 T > C was 71.4%, significantly higher than other sites. The comparisons of different population demonstrated that there is no significant difference among them. All of them shared the same haplogroup L1’2’3’4’5’6, close to African. Finally, we confirm that there is a very close genetic relationship between some individuals in this cemetery. We regarded Shao-lingyuan Western Zhou cemetery as a family cemetery, and these people belong to East Asia lineage.展开更多
Analysis of the fabrication technology of a bronze knife with an iron blade and a bronze Ge with an iron blade, two copper-iron bimetallic wares, unearthed in M27 of Liangdaicun Site, Hancheng of Shaanxi, is performed...Analysis of the fabrication technology of a bronze knife with an iron blade and a bronze Ge with an iron blade, two copper-iron bimetallic wares, unearthed in M27 of Liangdaicun Site, Hancheng of Shaanxi, is performed in this paper by using metallographic, EPMA and AMS-14C dating methods. The micro-structures of the two samples are typical wrought bloomery iron containing a substantial amount of carbon, which is also called carburized steel, made from bloomery iron by cementation in the solid state. The objects can be dated back to the early Spring and Autumn period. This study provides new evidence for understanding the beginning of iron smelting in China. Most of the early known iron wares of the period between the late Western Zhou Dynasty and the early Spring and Autumn were unearthed in the region at the junction of Henan, Shanxi and Shaanxi, at the middle reaches of the Yellow River, suggesting that this region may likely be one of the earliest centers of iron smelting technology in China and deserves further archaeological research. As early iron products were also discovered in the area of the upper reaches of the Yellow River and in Xinjiang, appropriate attention also should be paid to the relationship between these two areas in terms of the origin of iron smelting.展开更多
Xu Weihang gr aduated from theDepartment of Archaeology of JilinUniversity and is a researcher atthe Shaanxi Provincial Institute ofArchaeology. He has participated in theexcavation of the Terracatta Warriorsand Horse...Xu Weihang gr aduated from theDepartment of Archaeology of JilinUniversity and is a researcher atthe Shaanxi Provincial Institute ofArchaeology. He has participated in theexcavation of the Terracatta Warriorsand Horses of the Mausoleumof QinShi Huang for more than 20years.served as the leader of the thirdexcavationof the No.1 pit, and iscurrently the archaeological leaderof the Xianyang City Ruins Projectin Qindu. He has been engaged inarchaeological research of the Qin andHan dynasties for more than 30years,has deeply realized the importanceof ellig Chinese stories well. andstives to popularize archaeologicalachievements to the public with hisown meager efforts;Shen Shen is a Master of Cultural Relicsand Museums and the 9th NationalTop Ten "Outstanding DisseminatorsofChinese Cultural Relics Stories."展开更多
A large amount of carbonized plant remains were discovered in one of the outer burial pits of the Han Yangling Mausoleum, which was built more than 2000 years ago for the Jing Emperor, Liu, Qi (188―141 cal a BC), the...A large amount of carbonized plant remains were discovered in one of the outer burial pits of the Han Yangling Mausoleum, which was built more than 2000 years ago for the Jing Emperor, Liu, Qi (188―141 cal a BC), the fourth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. The remains are identified by phytolith analysis and macrofossil morphological features. Seeds from foxtail millet (Setaria italica), broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), rice (Oryza sativa) and chenopod (possible Chenopodium giganteum) are identified, suggesting that these four crops might have been the staple plant foods in the capital area (Guanzhong area), Shaanxi Province during the Early Western Han Dynasty. Chenopods were often considered as weeds since they have only been rarely found as carbonized seeds in prehistoric sites. This is the first time such a large amount of seeds has been found at a site, which provides strong material evidence for chenopod cultivation with a long history in China. Wheat was thought to be promoted and popularized in the Guanzhong area since the Wu Emporor, Liu, Che (156―87 cal a BC), the fifth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. No wheat was found at this site, which supports the historical document record that wheat was still secondary in the diet and agrarian economy before the Wu Emperor's reign.展开更多
Recently found materials indicate that the steppe mammoth, Mammuthus trogontherii, survived in northern China into the late Pleistocene. East Asia is the key area of mammoth evolution after the initial radiation of ea...Recently found materials indicate that the steppe mammoth, Mammuthus trogontherii, survived in northern China into the late Pleistocene. East Asia is the key area of mammoth evolution after the initial radiation of early forms out of Africa and into Eurasia at the beginning of the late Pliocene (c. 3.5–3.0 Ma). M. rumanus, M. meridionalis, M. trogontherii, and M. primige- nius probably formed a continuous and transitional evolutionary lineage within the pan-Eurasian mammoth radiation in East Asia. Each speciation event of the Eurasian mammoths was followed by a rapid and large-scale dispersal event: out of East Asia. Allopatric speciation is the main speciation pattern of Mammuthus. The climatic vacillation was severe and frequent in East Asia from the early part of early Pleistocene (c. 2.6 Ma) onward, which probably brought about successive speciation in East Asia and the subsequent dispersal of the mammoths.展开更多
Eight new Palaeolithic open-air sites were identified and 770 stone artefacts were collected from 2009 to 2011 in the Lantian area of the Bahe River valley, central China. Because the famous Homo erectus fossils were ...Eight new Palaeolithic open-air sites were identified and 770 stone artefacts were collected from 2009 to 2011 in the Lantian area of the Bahe River valley, central China. Because the famous Homo erectus fossils were unearthed at the Gongwangling and Chenjiawo localities, and more than 30 Palaeolithic open-air sites were investigated in the 1960s in this region, the catchment of Bahe River is regarded as one of the most important hominin sites from the late early Pleistocene to the middle Pleistocene. These eight newly discovered open-air sites are located at the second(n = 6), third(n = 1) or higher terraces(n = 1) of the Bahe River. The Diaozhai section on the second terrace was sampled in detail. Two samples were collected for optically stimulated luminescence dating(OSL). The OSL results suggest that a buried lithic artefact layer at the Diaozhai site spans approximately 70–30 ka. The lithic assemblage analysis suggests that the stone artefacts were made of local pebbles/cobbles such as greywacke, quartz, sandstone and igneous rocks. The main percussion techniques that were used were direct hard hammer percussion and bi-polar techniques. The lithic artefacts comprise hammer stones, cores, flakes, retouched tools and flaking debris. Acheulian-type large cutting tools(LCTs) such as hand-axes, picks and cleavers were indentified in the Lantian region as well. This is the first time Acheulian-type LCTs from the late Pleistocene have been identified in this region. This study distinguishes age gaps between Western world and East Asian Acheulian-type tools.展开更多
The Xiaohe Cemetery archaeological site （Cal. 4-3.5 ka BP） is one of the most important Bronze Age sites in Xinjiang, China. Although the surrounding environment is an extremely arid desert now, abundant archaeologi...The Xiaohe Cemetery archaeological site （Cal. 4-3.5 ka BP） is one of the most important Bronze Age sites in Xinjiang, China. Although the surrounding environment is an extremely arid desert now, abundant archaeological remains indicate that human occupation was common during certain periods in the Holocene. Field investigations and laboratory analyses of a sediment profile near the Xiaohe Cemetery indicate that while the regional environment was arid desert throughout the Holocene there were three episodes of lake forma- tion near the site in the periods 4.8-3.5 ka BP, 2.6-2.1 ka BP and 1.2-0.9 ka BP. Geomorphic and hydrological investigations reveal that a lake or lakes formed in a low-lying area when water was derived initially from the Kongque River and then shunted into the Xiaohe River basin. Low amounts of active chemical elements in lacustrine sediment between 4.8-3.5 ka BP indicate abundant and continuous water volume in the lake; the content of active chemical elements increased between 2.6-2.1 ka BP but was still at a relatively low level, suggesting a declining amount of water and diminished inflow. Between 1.2-0.9 ka BP there was a very high content of active elements, suggesting decreased water volume and indicating that the lake was stagnate. In contrast, the general climate condition shows that there had a warm-humid stage at 8-6 ka BP, a cool-humid stage at 6-2.9 ka BP and a warm-dry stage at 2.9-0.9 ka BP in this region. The hydrological evolutions around Xiaohe Cemetery did not have one-to-one correspondence with climate changes. Regional comparison indicates that broad-scale climatic conditions played an important role through its influences on the water volume of the Tarim River and Kongque River. But, the formation of the lakes and their level were controlled by geomorphic conditions that influenced how much water volume could be shunted to Xiaohe River from Kongque River. Human occupation of the Xiaohe Cemetery and nearby regions during the Bronze Age and Han-Jin period （202 BC-420 AD） corresponded to the two earlier lake periods, while no human activities existed in the third lake period because of the decreased water volume.展开更多
文摘In order to identify the kinship of Shaolingyuan ancient human excavated from Shaolingyuan archaeological site with high level of certainty, and infer racial origins more clearly and reliably, this paper analyzed the hereditary constitution of this population. We used the “Reverse root canal technique” to extract ancient DNA from 28 teeth in 28 skeletal remains (3057-2784 BP) of Shaolingyuan archaeological site, obtained the sequences of mtDNA Hypervariable region I (HVR-I) by PCR amplifications;then used MEGA 5.5 software to construct phylogenetic trees and compared the sequences among the sequences of interraces, intraraces. The phylogenetic tree showed that there were two major clusters, Cluster 1 with 16 individuals, and Cluster 2 with 5 individuals. Either the genetic gap or the geographic position of the individuals was small. The frequency of SNP site 16223 T > C was 71.4%, significantly higher than other sites. The comparisons of different population demonstrated that there is no significant difference among them. All of them shared the same haplogroup L1’2’3’4’5’6, close to African. Finally, we confirm that there is a very close genetic relationship between some individuals in this cemetery. We regarded Shao-lingyuan Western Zhou cemetery as a family cemetery, and these people belong to East Asia lineage.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10405003)State Administration Bureau of Cultural Heritage
文摘Analysis of the fabrication technology of a bronze knife with an iron blade and a bronze Ge with an iron blade, two copper-iron bimetallic wares, unearthed in M27 of Liangdaicun Site, Hancheng of Shaanxi, is performed in this paper by using metallographic, EPMA and AMS-14C dating methods. The micro-structures of the two samples are typical wrought bloomery iron containing a substantial amount of carbon, which is also called carburized steel, made from bloomery iron by cementation in the solid state. The objects can be dated back to the early Spring and Autumn period. This study provides new evidence for understanding the beginning of iron smelting in China. Most of the early known iron wares of the period between the late Western Zhou Dynasty and the early Spring and Autumn were unearthed in the region at the junction of Henan, Shanxi and Shaanxi, at the middle reaches of the Yellow River, suggesting that this region may likely be one of the earliest centers of iron smelting technology in China and deserves further archaeological research. As early iron products were also discovered in the area of the upper reaches of the Yellow River and in Xinjiang, appropriate attention also should be paid to the relationship between these two areas in terms of the origin of iron smelting.
文摘Xu Weihang gr aduated from theDepartment of Archaeology of JilinUniversity and is a researcher atthe Shaanxi Provincial Institute ofArchaeology. He has participated in theexcavation of the Terracatta Warriorsand Horses of the Mausoleumof QinShi Huang for more than 20years.served as the leader of the thirdexcavationof the No.1 pit, and iscurrently the archaeological leaderof the Xianyang City Ruins Projectin Qindu. He has been engaged inarchaeological research of the Qin andHan dynasties for more than 30years,has deeply realized the importanceof ellig Chinese stories well. andstives to popularize archaeologicalachievements to the public with hisown meager efforts;Shen Shen is a Master of Cultural Relicsand Museums and the 9th NationalTop Ten "Outstanding DisseminatorsofChinese Cultural Relics Stories."
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.40771205)National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 40625002)+1 种基金Chinese Civilization Origins Project (Grant No. 2006BAK21B20)Knowledge Innovation Project from Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZCX2-YW-315-5)
文摘A large amount of carbonized plant remains were discovered in one of the outer burial pits of the Han Yangling Mausoleum, which was built more than 2000 years ago for the Jing Emperor, Liu, Qi (188―141 cal a BC), the fourth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. The remains are identified by phytolith analysis and macrofossil morphological features. Seeds from foxtail millet (Setaria italica), broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), rice (Oryza sativa) and chenopod (possible Chenopodium giganteum) are identified, suggesting that these four crops might have been the staple plant foods in the capital area (Guanzhong area), Shaanxi Province during the Early Western Han Dynasty. Chenopods were often considered as weeds since they have only been rarely found as carbonized seeds in prehistoric sites. This is the first time such a large amount of seeds has been found at a site, which provides strong material evidence for chenopod cultivation with a long history in China. Wheat was thought to be promoted and popularized in the Guanzhong area since the Wu Emporor, Liu, Che (156―87 cal a BC), the fifth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. No wheat was found at this site, which supports the historical document record that wheat was still secondary in the diet and agrarian economy before the Wu Emperor's reign.
基金supported by Key Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sci-ences (Grant No. KJCX2-YW-106)National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006CB806400)
文摘Recently found materials indicate that the steppe mammoth, Mammuthus trogontherii, survived in northern China into the late Pleistocene. East Asia is the key area of mammoth evolution after the initial radiation of early forms out of Africa and into Eurasia at the beginning of the late Pliocene (c. 3.5–3.0 Ma). M. rumanus, M. meridionalis, M. trogontherii, and M. primige- nius probably formed a continuous and transitional evolutionary lineage within the pan-Eurasian mammoth radiation in East Asia. Each speciation event of the Eurasian mammoths was followed by a rapid and large-scale dispersal event: out of East Asia. Allopatric speciation is the main speciation pattern of Mammuthus. The climatic vacillation was severe and frequent in East Asia from the early part of early Pleistocene (c. 2.6 Ma) onward, which probably brought about successive speciation in East Asia and the subsequent dispersal of the mammoths.
基金supported by the One Hundred Talent Person Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KZCX2-YW-BR-24)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA05130201 and XDA05120704)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41072122 and 41202127)
文摘Eight new Palaeolithic open-air sites were identified and 770 stone artefacts were collected from 2009 to 2011 in the Lantian area of the Bahe River valley, central China. Because the famous Homo erectus fossils were unearthed at the Gongwangling and Chenjiawo localities, and more than 30 Palaeolithic open-air sites were investigated in the 1960s in this region, the catchment of Bahe River is regarded as one of the most important hominin sites from the late early Pleistocene to the middle Pleistocene. These eight newly discovered open-air sites are located at the second(n = 6), third(n = 1) or higher terraces(n = 1) of the Bahe River. The Diaozhai section on the second terrace was sampled in detail. Two samples were collected for optically stimulated luminescence dating(OSL). The OSL results suggest that a buried lithic artefact layer at the Diaozhai site spans approximately 70–30 ka. The lithic assemblage analysis suggests that the stone artefacts were made of local pebbles/cobbles such as greywacke, quartz, sandstone and igneous rocks. The main percussion techniques that were used were direct hard hammer percussion and bi-polar techniques. The lithic artefacts comprise hammer stones, cores, flakes, retouched tools and flaking debris. Acheulian-type large cutting tools(LCTs) such as hand-axes, picks and cleavers were indentified in the Lantian region as well. This is the first time Acheulian-type LCTs from the late Pleistocene have been identified in this region. This study distinguishes age gaps between Western world and East Asian Acheulian-type tools.
基金Major Program of National Social Science Foundation of China, No.11＆ZD183 National Key Project of Scientific and Technical Supporting Program of China, No.2013BAK08B02 National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41171006
文摘The Xiaohe Cemetery archaeological site （Cal. 4-3.5 ka BP） is one of the most important Bronze Age sites in Xinjiang, China. Although the surrounding environment is an extremely arid desert now, abundant archaeological remains indicate that human occupation was common during certain periods in the Holocene. Field investigations and laboratory analyses of a sediment profile near the Xiaohe Cemetery indicate that while the regional environment was arid desert throughout the Holocene there were three episodes of lake forma- tion near the site in the periods 4.8-3.5 ka BP, 2.6-2.1 ka BP and 1.2-0.9 ka BP. Geomorphic and hydrological investigations reveal that a lake or lakes formed in a low-lying area when water was derived initially from the Kongque River and then shunted into the Xiaohe River basin. Low amounts of active chemical elements in lacustrine sediment between 4.8-3.5 ka BP indicate abundant and continuous water volume in the lake; the content of active chemical elements increased between 2.6-2.1 ka BP but was still at a relatively low level, suggesting a declining amount of water and diminished inflow. Between 1.2-0.9 ka BP there was a very high content of active elements, suggesting decreased water volume and indicating that the lake was stagnate. In contrast, the general climate condition shows that there had a warm-humid stage at 8-6 ka BP, a cool-humid stage at 6-2.9 ka BP and a warm-dry stage at 2.9-0.9 ka BP in this region. The hydrological evolutions around Xiaohe Cemetery did not have one-to-one correspondence with climate changes. Regional comparison indicates that broad-scale climatic conditions played an important role through its influences on the water volume of the Tarim River and Kongque River. But, the formation of the lakes and their level were controlled by geomorphic conditions that influenced how much water volume could be shunted to Xiaohe River from Kongque River. Human occupation of the Xiaohe Cemetery and nearby regions during the Bronze Age and Han-Jin period （202 BC-420 AD） corresponded to the two earlier lake periods, while no human activities existed in the third lake period because of the decreased water volume.
