Exploring Plant Exploitation and Food Practices in the Loess Plateau, China: A Comparative Microbotanical Analysis in Urban and Rural Settings during the Late Neolithic Period

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Archaeology of Food and Foodways: Emerging Trends and New Perspectives" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

During the late Neolithic period in the Yellow River region (ca. 5000–4000 cal BP), a significant wave of urbanization unfolded, marked by the rapid development of settlement hierarchies, social stratification, and interregional interactions, which laid the foundation for the emergence of early state-level political structures. This period also witnessed the proliferation of sophisticated pottery types, notably vessels used for alcohol consumption and serving purposes, including pitchers and cups, in north China. However, the role of pottery assemblages, plant exploitation, and related food practices in mediating and shaping sociopolitical dynamics within both urban and rural contexts in the northern Loess Plateau region remains largely unexplored. This study presents a comparative microbotanical analysis of plants from elite and non-elite settlements and elite mortuary contexts, shedding light on the plant composition and food practices that shaped the social relationships, political structures, and urbanization processes in the region during the fifth millennium BP.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Archaeology of Food and Foodways: Emerging Trends and New Perspectives   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38734.0