Agriculture in the Hangjiahu Plain from the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age: New archaeobotanical evidence from Tiaotou, China

This study focuses on the new archaeobotanical materials recovered from the Tiaotou site dating from the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age to explore changes of agriculture in the Hangjiahu Plain, southeastern China. The stratigraphic succession at Tiaotou spans from the Late Liangzhu Culture (3300–2300 BC) to Western Zhou Dynasty (1046–771 BC), providing a long sequence of macrobotanical evidence. The results show that, compared with the Liangzhu Culture period (3300–2300 BC), the intensity of rice farming at the Tiaotou area likely declined during the Maqiao Culture period (1900–1200 BC). However, during the Late Shang period (1200–1000 BC), coinciding with the introduction of bronze technology, signs of a revival in the rice agricultural economy may have emerged at Tiaotou. Based on the identification and statistical analysis of charred crop remains from the Tiaotou site, along with comparative analysis of previous archaeobotanical findings from nearby sites, this research provides new insights into understanding the developmental trajectory of ancient agricultural societies in the Hangjiahu Plain.