Ya-Qin Hu

The project reconstructs the past environment during the Middle Neolithic period, locally known as Yangshao (5,000-3,000 B.C.) in North China. Using analysis of micro-plant remains and pollen from multiple archaeological sites, the study investigates the changes of anthropogenic environments during the course of farming intensification and the changing of crops in agricultural activity. It is based on data from the Yangguanzhai site, an extensive Neolithic village in Shaanxi province, and data from the Yiluo River basin in Henan province. A colleague at the University of Oregon, Gyoung-Ah Lee has studied the economic plants and agricultural development from both regions, by analyzing macro plant remains. Cooperation, therefore, contributes to a comprehensive understanding of two-way interactions of Neolithic culture and environments based on multiple forms of plant remains.