Broomcorn millet cultivation in the SW East European Plain since the second millennium BC

作     者：Ting AN Luoya ZHU Jie TIAN Chenghao WEN Meng YANG Hongxing HAO Magda LAZAROVICI Gheorghe LAZAROVICI 

作者机构：School of Art and Archaeology Zhejiang University Institute of Archaeology Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Zhengzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute of Archaeology Iasi 

出 版 物：《Science China Earth Sciences》 (中国科学:地球科学(英文版))

年 卷 期：2024年

核心收录：

学科分类：0601[历史学-考古学] 06[历史学] 07[理学] 09[农学] 0901[农学-作物学] 0712[理学-科学技术史(分学科，可授理学、工学、农学、医学学位)] 

基　　金：supported by the Innovative Engineering Project of the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Grant No. 2020KGYJ002) the National Social Science Fund of China (Grant No. 20CKG024) the “Peak Strategy” Program for Discipline Development at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Grant No. DF2023ZD14) 

摘      要：The early trans-Eurasian exchange and its influence on the dynamics of human-land relationships is an emerging topic involving multiple disciplines. The southwestern part of the Eastern European Plain was a key hub for early East-West interaction. Broomcorn millet, a crop domesticated in China, was introduced into the region about 3,600 years ago, significantly earlier than in other parts of Europe. This research employs systematic archaeobotanical flotation and AMS radiocarbon dating at two sites in Romania:Baia-?n Muchie and Dobrov??. The findings demonstrate that broomcorn millet cultivation in this region has persisted for over 2,000 years, exhibiting significant diachronic fluctuations. Millet was most intensively utilized during the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age (1200–800 BC) and the Late Roman Empire (AD 250–400), periods which were characterized by rapid climatic changes. It may have been cultivated as a “disaster relief crop to mitigate the challenges posed by extreme drought and cold. The millet grains from the study area are similar in dimensions to those reported in East Asia;however, grains from the Romanian sites are thinner and longer. The route traversing the Caucasus and the northern Black Sea likely served as a key passage through which millet entered Europe from West Asia. This research provides valuable data on the chronology of millet cultivation in the SW Eastern European Plain and enhances our understanding of early East-West exchanges and their impact on human-environment interactions in critical regions.