Early Processed Triticeae Food Remains in The Yanghai Tombs, Xinjiang, China. (5th June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zheng, H. P.; Jiang, H. E.; Zhang, Y. B.; Lü, E. G.; Yang, Y. M.; Wang, C. S.
• Is Part Of: Archaeometry. Volume 57:Number 2(2015)
• Page Start: 378
• Page End: 391
• Publication Date: 2014-06-05
• Subjects: Archaeobotany -- Cereal remains -- wheat -- barLey -- Starch grains analysis -- Cross cells analysis; Archaeometry -- Periodicals; Archaeology -- Expertising -- Periodicals; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1111/arcm.12110
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-813X

Abstract

Abstract : Visible food remains can provide evidence regarding ancient food processing, the spread of cereals and cultural communication. Some desiccated food remains were discovered in the Yanghai Tombs, Turpan district, in Xinjiang, China (2600–2900bp ). These food remains were analysed by Fourier transform infrared (FT–IR) spectroscopy combined with plant microfossils, including starch grains and cross cells of pericarp from the cereal bran fragments. The results showed that these food remains were cooked dough food made from wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) and barley ( Hordeum spp.). The cross‐sections of these remains look very dense, not porous under a microscope, which suggests that no fermentation had happened, so these foodstuffs may be some kind of flatbread. Although wheat and barley had been introduced into China by at least the third millenniumbc, these remains are still the earliest known direct evidence that wheat and barley were ground into flour and then processed as foodstuffs in north‐western China.