Yiyi Tang

This study employs a microbotanical approach to investigate foodways in the Liangzhu culture of southern China, dating to 5300–4200 BP. Through the analysis of starch granules extracted from pottery sherds, the study examines the degree of rice (Oryza sativa) and wild plant food consumption among Liangzhu sites, which are believed to represent different social strata. Recent studies suggest that Liangzhu social organization was less coercive than previously assumed, raising questions about the social role of rice, which has long been theorized as a medium of elite control. Using a bottom-up approach to Liangzhu foodways and power relations, this study reframes everyday food practices of Liangzhu communities as actions that occurred beyond the domain of centralized authority.