| Discovering and studying kernel properties of carbonized wheat(Triticum aestivum) in Donghui Hill ruins of Minle county,Gansu province,China,plays an important role in history of Chinese agricultural development,of diet culture,of exchange between East and West,as well as in history of “Silk Road”,which affords us significant reference that merit attention in progress of improving and evolution of wheat variety in last hundred years in China. We obtained carbonized plant samples through flotation techniques of soil samples from Donghui Hill. After the isolation and identification,component analysis,and reference review,preliminary results were as follows:(1)The average single kernel weight of carbonized wheat kernel is 9.52 mg,ranging from 3.01 mg to 17.40 mg,with higher coefficient of variation(CV). The average length and width of kernel is 4.62 mm and 3.26 mm,respectively. The ratio of kernel width to length kernel is 0.71,ranging from 0.56 to 0.91. The kernel length of carbonized wheat is shorter than that of modern wheat variety Yongning 15(0.83∶1.00),but they have similar kernel width. It is speculated that the single kernel weight of Donghui Hill is 45% to 47% of that in modern wheat(Yongning 15).(2)The higher isotope 15N content in carbonized wheat kernel indicated that the farming relied mainly on natural fertility,or using organic farmyard manure for wheat cultivation.(3)Major minerals are high in zinc(Zn),copper(Cu),lead(Pb),and strontium(Si),which prompted there was some connection between wheat production environments and human activities or bronze smelting.(4)Ascertaining the cultivation years of carbonized wheat in Donghui Hills,and analyzing spread way from western to eastern of wheat,provided historic evidence how to spread the wheat from the Donghui Hill to East region of Qinghai and Linxia region of Gansu through the Biandoukou in Qilian mountains,and even continually to middle China since 4 000 years ago.(5)This study also identified for the first time buckwheat(Fagopyrum esculentum) and oat kernel(Avena sativa) in this ruins. |
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