THE SPREAD OF ANCIENT CROPS THROUGH THE'PLATEAU ROAD'
The spread of prehistoric crops and domesticated animals across the Eurasian continent significantly transformed regional production systems and lifestyles,exerting a profound impact on the development of human societies.It is widely accepted that the westward expansion of foxtail millet(Setaria italica),broomcorn millet(Panicum milliaceumi)and japonica rice(Oryza sativa sub.japonica),alongside the eastward spread of barley(Hordeum vulgare)and wheat(Triticum aestivum),followed the Eurasian'Steppe Route'or the'Oasis Route'via Central Asia,Xinjiang,and the Hexi Corridor.Recent archaeobotanical studies conducted at the La phob Site in Chamdo City,the Mabu Co Site in Kangmar County,the Klu lding Site in Nyingchi City,and other sites on the southern Tibetan Plateau have provided new evidence that enhances our understanding of this region's role in the transregional spread of prehistoric crops.This paper systematically reviews the types and dates of crop remains from archaeological sites across the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas.Based on the spatiotemporal distribution of these remains,we suggest that the spread of East Asian domesticated crops,such as foxtail millet,broomcorn millet,and japonica rice to South Asia,and the spread of West Asian domesticated barley and wheat,as well as South Asian indica rice(Oryza sativa sub.indica)to East Asia,may have involved bidirectional trans-Himalayan exchanges.Consequently,we propose the hypothesis of crop dissemination across the Himalayas via the'Plateau Road'.It is probable that this'Plateau Road'comprises a network of east-west routes along the Yarlung Tsangpo River valley,as well as north-south corridors traversing the Himalayas.The more than 20 river valleys that cut through the Himalayan ranges from west to east likely served as natural corridors,playing a significant role in the diffusion of prehistoric crops.
Tibetan PlateauarchaeobotanyNeolithic agecultural exchange between East and Westfood globalisation in prehistorycrop remains
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