Holistic research on the spread and acculturation of early agriculture
and the processes behind the establishment of herding societies in East Asia

(2019～2023　Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(S))

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Over View

Prehistoric societies in East Asia consisted of the following four areas: agricultural societies (Chinese mainland), secondary agricultural societies (Northeast Asia, Southwest China), and herding societies (Northern Asia). Among these, temporary cooler and drier climatic conditions triggered the cultural spread and acculturation of secondary agricultural societies in Northeast Asia. On the other hand, it is believed that herding societies in the western part of Eurasia became established in areas where agriculture had originally spread due to these cooler and drier climatic conditions. However, little progress has been made in research on how agriculture spread to the Great Wall Region and Mongolian Plateau in East Asia. Therefore, there is a need to clarify the processes by which herding societies came into being as result of cooler and drier climate conditions around 3000 BC. In addition, there is also a need to determine whether herding societies developed from agricultural societies as in the western Eurasian grassland area, or the movement of herding people to the Mongolian Plateau from the middle Eurasian grass land area.

Research Methods

We should understand the process of spread of rice agriculture in Northeast Asia in terms of secondary agricultural society. In this case, an original culture of rice agriculture existed, such as unique agricultural stone tools, small rice paddy fields with foot passes and temperate Japonica, which is different to that of the original location in the lower and middle Yangtze River basin. It is probable that these agricultural cultures were established in the eastern Shandong Peninsula. The occurrence of cooler and drier climatic conditions around 3000 BC caused extensive damage on the Shandong Peninsula, probably triggering the production of small rice paddy fields with foot passes and temperate Japonica more suited to the cooler environment. The results of boring core and phytolith analysis carried out at Yanjiaquan Site, Qixia Prefecture, Shandong Province suggest that the Longshan culture probably had rice paddy fields.
・We will conduct excavations at Yanjiaquan Site to measure and analyze the DNA of charred rice grains in order to elucidate the processes by which small rice paddy fields with foot passes and temperate Japonica were established.
・We will also make clear the processes by which domesticated grains spread through the analysis of the kernel stamps of pottery.
・In order to understand how herding societies became established from early agriculture in Northern Asia, we will clarify changes in subsistence activities between the Neolithic and Bronze ages in the Mongolian Plateau by examining dietary changes through the C13 isotopic analysis of human bones.
・We will excavate at burial cemeteries dating to the Neolithic or early Bronze Age to collect human bones for research on the Mongolian Plateau.
・Research on the musculoskeletal stress markers (MSMs) of humans proves the existence of differences in subsistence activities during this transitional time.
・Physical anthropological research and strontium isotopic analysis of human bones will serve to elucidate human movements during prehistoric times.