Dinning at the Colonial Frontier: The Maintenance of Erligang Foodways at Panlongcheng

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Resources and Society in Ancient China" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Located in the middle Yangtze region, the Panlongcheng site represents the southernmost extent of the Erligang civilization’s expansion during early Bronze Age China. While much scholarly work has concentrated on elucidating the site's significance and its implications for understanding the unique cultural expansion in ancient China, there has been limited exploration into the daily lives of the Erligang settlers in this region. This study presents archaeobotanical evidence collected during the 2019–2020 and 2021–2022 field seasons at Panlongcheng. Although the identification and quantification of archaeobotanical remains are ongoing, preliminary findings indicate that the Erligang settlers retained their traditional northern foodways—specifically, millet—in an area known for originating rice agriculture. This practice is particularly noteworthy given the local geographical conditions, which make millet production seemingly unfeasible. Our research thus suggests that the settlers may have acquired millet through long-term trade or exchange networks, reinforcing their Erligang identity and maintaining consistent interactions with their northern counterparts.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Resources and Society in Ancient China   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39556.0