The earliest prehistoric pottery in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its archaeological implications |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Key Laboratory of Physical Geography and Environmental Processes of Qinghai Province, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, Qinghai 810008, China;2. State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China;3. Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai 810008, China;4. Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA;5. Luminescence Laboratory of University of Washington, Washington, USA;1. SUERC, Scottish Enterprise and Technology Park, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride, Scotland, G75 0QF, UK;2. Department of Anthropology, Bates College, Pettengill Hall, Lewiston, ME 04240, USA;1. Luminescence Dating Laboratory, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow, 226007, India;2. Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, 140306, India;3. Centre for Nuclear Technologies, Risoe-DTU, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark;4. Geosciences Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, 380009, India;5. Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Faculty of Arts, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, 390002, India;6. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, 390002, India;7. Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India;8. CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007, India;1. Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Science of Babeş-Bolyai University, Treboniu Laurean 42, 400271 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;2. Faculty of Physics, Babeş-Bolyai University, M. Kogălniceanu 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;3. Chair of Geomorphology, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany;4. Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeş-Bolyai University, Fântânele 30, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;5. Faculty of Humanities, Valahia University, Lt. Stancu Ion 34-36, 130115 Târgovițte, Romania;6. Institute of Speology, Romanian Academy, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;1. Laboratoire Halma UMR 8164 (CNRS), Université Lille 1, 59655 Villeneuve d''Ascq Cedex France;2. Laboratoire de Luminescence LUX, Département des Sciences de la Terre et de l''Atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888 Succ. Centre-Ville, H3C 3P8 Montréal, Canada;3. Laboratoire de Géomorphologie, Département de Géographie, Université de Tunis, 94 bd du 9 avril 1938, Tunis, Tunisia;1. Département d''anthropologie, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada;2. Département des sciences de la Terre et de l''atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, Québec, Canada;1. Department of Applied Physics, Okayama University of Science, Okayama, 700-0005, Japan;2. Humanities and Social Sciences, Nara Women''s University, Nara, 630-8506, Japan;3. Department of Environmental Systems, Rissho University, Kumagaya, 360-0194, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Remains of prehistoric human activity in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) were often found exposed in the surface due to strong erosion. Thus, archaeological sites containing continuous and integral cultural remains within stratigraphic layers are rare in the plateau. The Jiangxigou site, located in the south of Qinghai Lake basin and in the northeastern margin of the plateau, are such a site with ages ranging from the early to late Holocene, i.e. from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic. Our excavation disclosed remains including more than 700 pieces of microliths, 14 pottery pieces, and other cultural relics. The oldest pottery fragments were found at the depth of 75 cm in the section, and in particular, a painted pottery piece was found at the depth of 61 cm. In this study, both luminescence (TL and OSL) and radiocarbon dating were employed to establish the chronology for these remains. Two pieces of pottery were dated using thermoluminescence (TL), another two pieces of pottery were dated by OSL, and three charcoal samples by AMS 14C. TL age of pottery piece P14 from the depth of 75 cm is 7.06 ± 0.51 ka, making it the earliest pottery in the Tibetan Plateau. The AMS 14C age of charcoals from the same depth of 75 cm is 6805 ± 95 Cal a BP, in agreement with TL age of P14. OSL age of pottery P12 from the depth of 60–70 cm is 6.50 ± 0.47 ka, and OSL age of pottery P9 from 54 cm is 4.97 ± 0.25 ka. Thus, the age of the painted pottery piece at the depth of 61 cm should be ∼5.50 ka by interpolation, making it the earliest painted pottery in the QTP. The pottery P14 has many common features similar to that of the Yangshao culture in China. We suggest that, before 7 ka, hunters using microlithic had been living in the northeastern margin of the QTP. Since 7 ka, these native microlithic hunters had been affected by the Neolithic Yangshao culture from the Loess Plateau, which was characterized by well-developed pottery. Agricultural growers migrated from the lower elevation of the Loess Plateau to the east of the QTP, leading to profound cultural exchanges with highland native microlithic hunters. |
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| Keywords: | Prehistoric human activity Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) Pottery Chronology and origin Palaeolithic to Neolithic transition |
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