湖北省大冶市蟹子地遗址炭化植物遗存研究

湖北省大冶市蟹子地遗址地处长江以南鄂东南丘陵地带的山间小盆地，其文化堆积大致可分为新石器时期和西周早期，新石器时期的遗存又分为一期和二期，一期相当于石家河文化时期（4500~4200aB.P.），二期相当于后石家河文化时期（4200~3900aB.P.），西周遗存的年代主要是西周早期（3000~2900aB.P.），其整体面貌与鄂东南地区西周时期典型的土著遗存风格非常一致。2009年5月至9月，在发掘遗址的同时进行了土样的采集和浮选，发现了一批新石器时代末期和西周时期的炭化植物遗存。此次浮选共计采集样品22份，共发现了14611粒炭化植物遗存，包括大量的稻米（Oryza sativa）、少量的粟（Setaria italica）和极少量的杂草（weeds），此外还有少量的炭化稻谷基盘（rice spikelet base）。浮选结果显示，蟹子地遗址在新石器时代末期和西周时期均以稻作农业经济为主，西周时期有对粟进行利用。另外，该遗址新石器时代二期一处房址（T1831F1）集中出土了一批形态偏小的炭化稻米，这可能属于另外一个稻种。蟹子地遗址是鄂东地区，以及湖北长江以南地区首个进行浮选并进行植物遗存研究的遗址，该研究结果为该地区新石器时代晚期和西周时期的植物利用历史提供了新的数据。

RESEARCH ON CHARRED PLANT REMAINS FROM THE XIEZIDI SITE IN DAYE CITY,HUBEI PROVINCE

Xiezidi site (30°10'01.00'N,114°56'17.64'E) in Daye City,is located at the intermountain basin of eastern Hubei Province at the south of the Yangtze River. The site covers an area of 0.02 square kilometers. In each context,there are between 5 to 8 occupation layers ranging in thickness from 1 to 3 meters. The site dates to three periods including the Neolithic Shijiahe culture (4500~4200aB.P.),post-Shijiahe culture (4200~3900aB.P.),and the early Western Zhou Dynasty (3000~2900aB.P.).There are few remains dating to the Neolithic Shijiahe and post-Shijiahe periods. They include 6 trash pits,2 house foundations,1 layer of red burned earth,1 pottery kiln,and 1 ditch. During the early Western Zhou Dynasty the features include 32 trash pits. Our study includes 3 soil samples dating to the Shijiahe Culture,10 soil samples dating to the post-Shijiahe Culture,and 9 soil samples dating to the early Western Zhou Dynasty. The samples were collected during excavation between May to September,2009. In the Neolithic soil samples,11 samples come from general occupation layers,1 sample comes from a ditch,and 1 sample comes from a house foundation (T1831F1). In the soil samples for the early Western Zhou Dynasty,there are 3 soil samples coming from general occupation layers and 6 soil samples coming from trash pits.A total of 14611 charred plant remains were found,including 14580 rice seeds (Oryza sativa),16 millet seeds(Setaria italica),and 3 weed seeds. Additionally,there are 12 spikelet bases of rice. The present flotation results show that the inhabitants of Xiezidi site were engaged in rice agriculture during the post-Shijiahe Culture,they not only lived on rice but also used millet during the Western Zhou Dynasty. The reason for such a change might be that the inhabitants of the Xiezidi site were influenced by the more millet-intensive agricultural practices of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Because there are no millet husks,it is possible that the millet found in Xiezidi site was either local or imported. The possibility for local millet agriculture should not be ruled out because the colder climate during the Zhou Dynasty and the hilly geography of the region are both fit for millet planting.Finally,smaller sized rice remains were unearthed from the house foundations (T1831F1) dating to the post-Shijiahe Culture period. We believe this might be another species of rice. However,we do not know if this rice was grown locally or imported. Because activities at Xiezidi site are linked to mining and metallurgy,the rice might have been exchanged between local craftsmen and other people.This is the first site to undergo flotation analysis in the eastern or southern Yangtze River valley in Hubei Province. Our study provides new data on the history of plant use in this area during the late Neolithic through Western Zhou Dynasty.