Multiple indicators of rice remains and the process of rice domestication: A case study in the lower Yangtze River region, China

Research at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City reveals that rice domestication in the lower Yangtze River region spanned approximately 6,000 years during the Neolithic period. The study identified three distinct stages in this process, marked by turning points around 6,500-5,800 and 4,600-4,300 years BP. It established that an assemblage of rice remains can be classified as domesticated if it meets two criteria simultaneously: a proportion of domesticated-type bulliform phytoliths exceeding 73% and a proportion of domesticated-type rice spikelet bases higher than 75%. The study analyzed multiple indicators, including macroremains like charred seeds and microremains such as phytoliths, from 38 archaeological samples collected across eight Neolithic sites. This comprehensive approach provides a more accurate understanding of the gradual and successive development of domesticated rice characteristics over time.

Ma, Y., Yang, X., Huan, X., Gao, Y., Wang, W., Li, Z., Ma, Z., Perry, L., Sun, G., Jiang, L., Jin, G., & Lu, H. (2018). Multiple indicators of rice remains and the process of rice domestication: A case study in the lower Yangtze River region, China. Plos One, 13(12), e0208104. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208104