Millets, dogs, pigs and permanent settlement: productivity transitions in Neolithic northern China
Evolutionary Human Sciences <https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/evolutionary-human-sciences> , Volume 6 <https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/evolutionary-human-sciences/volume/4862BF54A64C5A2A70D3B46EE135ACAD> , 2024 , e44 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2024.31 Millets, dogs, pigs and permanent settlement: productivity transitions in Neolithic northern China Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 November 2024 Chris J. Stevens<https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Chris%20J.%20Stevens&eventCode=SE-AU>, Yijie Zhuang<https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Yijie%20Zhuang&eventCode=SE-AU> and Dorian Q. Fuller<https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Dorian%20Q.%20Fuller&eventCode=SE-AU> The transition to sedentary agricultural societies in northern China fuelled considerable demographic growth from 5000 to 2000 BC. In this article, we draw together archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological and bioarchaeological data and explore the relationship between several aspects of this transition, with an emphasis on the millet-farming productivity during the Yangshao period and how it facilitated changes in animal husbandry and consolidation of sedentism. We place the period of domestication (the evolution of non-shattering, initial grain size increase and panicle development) between 8300 and 4300 BC. The domestication and post-domestication of foxtail (Setaria italica) and broomcorn (Panicum miliaceum) millet increased their productivity substantially, with much greater rate of change than for rice (Oryza sativa). However, millets are significantly less productive per hectare than wet rice farming, a point reflected in the greater geographical expanse of northern Neolithic millet cultures (5000–3000 BC) in comparison with their Yangtze rice-growing counterparts. The domestication of pigs in the Yellow River region is evidenced by changes in their morphology after 6000 BC, and a transition to a millet-based diet c. 4500–3500 BC. Genetic data and isotopic data from dogs indicate a similar dietary transition from 6000 to 4000 BC, leading to new starch-consuming dog breeds. Significant population increase associated with agricultural transitions arose predominately from the improvement of these crops and animals following domestication, leading to the formation of the first proto-urban centres and the demic-diffusion of millet agriculture beyond central northern China between 4300–2000 BC. This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.
Thank you, David, for sharing this interesting article. The early history and indeed prehistory of millets is important to understand as we look to how these crops will be used in the future. Here's an article that sheds some light on the methods used in current archaeobotanical research, which have enabled us to get a better picture of the importance of millets in ancient societies: Jade d’Alpoim Guedes, and Dorian Q. Fuller, 2018, "Steven A. Weber: An Interdisciplinary Visionary in Paleoethnobotany," Journal of Ethnobotany, 2018 38(4): 464–468 https://ethnobiology.org/sites/default/files/c7_weber3.pdf Apparently Prof. Weber (1954-2020) was a pioneer in the use of flotation in analyzing sediments from archaeological digs, which greatly facilitated identification of smaller grains that earlier methods missed. As I understand it, that really makes possible the kind of analysis featured in the article you shared. Anyway, there are several mentions of millets in South and Southeast Asia in that short article. Also of interest, Prof. Weber, who had early in his career worked in the Hopi area of the SW US, "also argued for paleoethnobotany to pay attention to the potential role played by thesecrucial small-seed grass crops in the Americas." Note also the name of Dorian Fuller as co-author of both these articles. He has a number of publications on topics including millets. All the best, Don DO, EL, MI, US NAMA On Thu, Apr 3, 2025 at 4:42 PM Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS < david.brenner@usda.gov> wrote:
*Evolutionary Human Sciences <https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/evolutionary-human-sciences>*, *Volume 6 <https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/evolutionary-human-sciences/volume/4862BF54A64C5A2A70D3B46EE135ACAD>*, 2024 , e44 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2024.31
Millets, dogs, pigs and permanent settlement: productivity transitions in Neolithic northern China Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 November 2024 Chris J. Stevens <https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Chris%20J.%20Stevens&eventCode=SE-AU> , Yijie Zhuang <https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Yijie%20Zhuang&eventCode=SE-AU> and Dorian Q. Fuller <https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Dorian%20Q.%20Fuller&eventCode=SE-AU>
The transition to sedentary agricultural societies in northern China fuelled considerable demographic growth from 5000 to 2000 BC. In this article, we draw together archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological and bioarchaeological data and explore the relationship between several aspects of this transition, with an emphasis on the millet-farming productivity during the Yangshao period and how it facilitated changes in animal husbandry and consolidation of sedentism. We place the period of domestication (the evolution of non-shattering, initial grain size increase and panicle development) between 8300 and 4300 BC. The domestication and post-domestication of foxtail (*Setaria italica*) and broomcorn (*Panicum miliaceum*) millet increased their productivity substantially, with much greater rate of change than for rice (*Oryza sativa*). However, millets are significantly less productive per hectare than wet rice farming, a point reflected in the greater geographical expanse of northern Neolithic millet cultures (5000–3000 BC) in comparison with their Yangtze rice-growing counterparts. The domestication of pigs in the Yellow River region is evidenced by changes in their morphology after 6000 BC, and a transition to a millet-based diet c. 4500–3500 BC. Genetic data and isotopic data from dogs indicate a similar dietary transition from 6000 to 4000 BC, leading to new starch-consuming dog breeds. Significant population increase associated with agricultural transitions arose predominately from the improvement of these crops and animals following domestication, leading to the formation of the first proto-urban centres and the demic-diffusion of millet agriculture beyond central northern China between 4300–2000 BC.
This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.
participants (2)
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Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS -
Don Osborn