摘要
淀粉粒分析在国内外环境考古学研究中得到了大量应用,但是目前国内还没有关于淀粉粒分析、石器功能与植物利用关系的现代过程研究。本研究针对石刀这一新石器时代重要的生产和生活工具开展现代过程的模拟实验,尝试利用淀粉粒分析方法验证石刀功能及其加工的植物类型。我们利用打制的简易石片模拟石刀,对未成熟和成熟的小麦(Triticum aestivum L.)进行了共两次割穗操作,提取并观察石片割穗后不同部位表面残留物中的淀粉粒形态及其组合。实验结果表明,石片表面残留物中的淀粉粒主要来源于小麦秸秆;小麦秸秆淀粉粒的A型和B型淀粉粒(未成熟和成熟小麦秸秆淀粉粒——A+B型淀粉粒,含量分别为90.91%和92.59%)分别与其成熟籽粒的A型和B型淀粉粒形态、大小相似,具备形态鉴定的特征;小麦秸秆中还发现了独特的多面体型淀粉粒(未成熟和成熟小麦秸秆多面体型淀粉粒含量分别为9.09%和7.41%),这是小麦种子中缺少的类型。根据本次现代实验模拟的结果,考古遗址出土石刀上提取到的淀粉粒很可能来自于植物收割(或切削)过程的残留物,结合淀粉粒分析、石刀形制和出土状况进行分析,可以获取出土石刀功能与古人类植物利用的信息。
Starch grains recovered from plant residues on prehistoric artifacts are widely used to study tool function and ancient plant use. However, there have been no modern process studies on the relationship among starch, tool function and plant use in China. Here modern process simulation experiments were carried out to test functions of stone knives, important typical production tools for ancient people during the Neolithic age in East Asia. Stone knives were presumed to cut the ears of crops, but there was confusion about the ancient starches from residues adhering to the edges of prehistoric stone knives in previous study as starches were considered to be stored in seeds, roots or tubers,where the starches on the edges of stone knives were from organs of plants if the tools did not contact them. In this experiment, we used eight simple man-made flakes instead of stone knives to cut stems of immature and mature wheat （Triticum aestivum L. ）in Li Jiaying Village, Shandong Province, and then extracted the starch grains from residues on the surface of edges and backs of stone flakes, wheat stems and seeds to observe the starch grains＇ morphology and combination. The results show that： （ 1 ） the starch grains from residues on the surface of stone flakes originated from wheat stems during harvesting; （2）the A-type（ average grain sizes： 20.7 ＋5.11xm）and B-type（ average grain sizes ： 5.4 -＋ 1.21xm） starch grains （ accounting for 90.91% and 92.59% of the total starch grains,respectively）from wheat stems are almost the same as those in mature wheat seeds in terms of morphology characters and proportions, showing distinct morphological characteristics ; （3）polyhedral starch grains （accounting for 9.09% and 7.41% of the total grains）which have no existence in mature wheat seeds are particularly found in wheat stems. According to these results, it can be conclude that starch grains extracted from the surface of ancient stone knives in archaeological sites are probably from the process of cutting and/or harvesting. By a comprehensive analysis of starch grain, stone knife typology and property of the excavation situation, more comprehensive information of stone knife function and ancient plants use during the prehistorical times can be explored.
出处
《第四纪研究》
CAS
CSCD
北大核心
2012年第2期247-255,共9页
Quaternary Sciences
基金
国家自然科学基金项目(批准号:41072140)
中国科学院战略性先导科技专项项目(批准号:XDA05130402和XDA05130603)
中国博士后科学基金项目(批准号:20110490572)共同资助
关键词
淀粉粒分析
石刀功能
模拟实验
starch grain analysis, stone knife＇s function, simulation experiment
