Holocene spatiotemporal millet agricultural patterns in northern China: a dataset of archaeobotanical macroremains

Abstract n = 538) spanning the Neolithic and Bronze ages in northern China and suggested a significant spatiotemporal divergence of millet agriculture in the subhumid mid-lower Yellow River (MLY) and semiarid agro-pastoral ecotone (APE). The key timing of the diffusion and transition of millet agriculture occurred around 6000 cal. a BP, coinciding with the Holocene Optimum (8000–6000 cal. a BP) and Miaodigou Age (6200–5500 cal. a BP). It spread westward and northward from the MLY to APE and underwent a dramatic transition from low-yield broomcorn millet to high-yield foxtail millet. The combined influence of warm-wet climate, population pressure, and field management may have promoted the intensification, diffusion, and transition of millet agriculture around 6000 cal. a BP. Thereafter, the cropping patterns in the MLY were predominated by foxtail millet (∼ ∼  60 %) and broomcorn millet under a persistent drying trend since the mid-Holocene. This study provided the first quantitative spatiotemporal cropping patterns during the Neolithic and Bronze ages in northern China, which can be used for evaluating prehistoric human subsistence, discussing past human–environment interaction, and providing a valuable perspective of agricultural sustainability for the future. The dataset is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6669730 (He et al., 2022).

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Holocene spatiotemporal millet agricultural patterns in northern China: a dataset of archaeobotanical macroremains ; volume:14 ; number:10 ; year:2022 ; pages:4777-4791 ; extent:15 ; Earth system science data ; 14, Heft 10 (2022), 4777-4791 (gesamt 15)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: He, Keyang ; Lu, Houyuan ; Zhang, Jianping ; Wang, Can

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/essd-14-4777-2022
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022110304292481125258
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:29 AM CEST