2.Introduction of KAKENHI Projects

Archeobotanical Study of Neolithic Sites in China Sheds Culture & Society Light on the Origins of Lacquer and Tea Use

Shinichi Nakamura Professor Kanazawa University

【Background】 a wooden cylindrical tube excavated from their archeological context clearly indi- The lower Yangtze valley in China is a the lower stratum of the Tianluoshan site, cates artificial planting, we concluded treasure house of archeological ecofacts, which is dated to the same period as the that they were probably tea trees. The car- since the wetland environment of the area Hemudu site (about 7000 years ago), bon-14 date of one sample by accelerator enabled the preservation of many organic through infrared spectroscopy and micro- mass spectrometry is 3526-3366 BC with remains, as seen at the famous Hemudu scopic observation. We found that three an 87.7 percent possibility. In other words, site. We organized a project team in coop- layers of lacquer had been applied to the cultivation of tea may have begun in the eration with Chinese archaeologists and tube. Our analyses also showed that lac- lower Yangtze region about 5400 years enlisted the help of experts in botany, agri- quer had been applied to a wooden bow ago. We are continuing our study of the culture and other palaeoenvironment-rela- (Fig.1) found at the Kuahuqiao site, dated remains to see whether DNA analysis can ted sciences. Our focus is on the history, about 1000 years earlier than Hemudu identify them as tea trees. especially the origins of plant use by the and Tianluoshan. At present, this is the prehistoric people. oldest scientifically dated example of lac- 【Outlook】 quer use in East Asia. Our research also covers many other 【Results】 fields such as reconstruction of palaeoen- The earliest example of lacquer ware in Another important discovery is a possible vironment through pollen and diatom ana- China is said to be a lacquered bowl tea planting found in the middle stratum lyses, morphological identification of ani- found at the Hemudu site. However, this of the site. Roots were unearthed from mal bones and plant seeds (Fig.3), and supposition is not based on scientific ana- two locations, where more than ten roots isotopic analysis of human bones that can lysis. We analyzed a lacquer fragment of were arranged in rows respectively (Fig. provide clues about diet. We hope to inte- 2). Microscopic examination could deter- grate the results of these studies to recon- mine only that they were of the genus Ca- struct the way of life of the early rice- mellia; but because the wood structure is farming cultures in Asia. similar to that of modern tea plants and

Fig. 2: Excavation of possible tea plant root at Tian- Fig. 3: Carbonized rice grains from Tianluoshan luoshan site site

Fig. 1: Lacquered bow found at Kuahuqiao site

Related Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research: FY2003-2005 Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B):“Archaeobotanical Research on the Neolithic Cultures of the Lower Yangtze Region” FY2006-2007 Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows:“Archaeobotanical Study of the Chinese Neolithic： Development of Technique and its Application” FY2006-2009 Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A):“Reconstructing Hemudu Culture Studies：A Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Research of Tianluoshan Site in Yuyao, Zhejiang, China” 04