Tracing the Xinjiang Routes for the westward dispersal of rice: Phytolith analysis at the Haheren site in the southern Tianshan foothills of eastern Central Asia

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104623
• Publication Date: 2024-06-13T00:17:16Z
• Authors: Lin Ren; Yuqi Li; Xinxin Zuo; Haiming Li; Michael Storozum; Xin Wang; Xin Jia

© 2024 Elsevier LtdThe westward dissemination of rice from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia to Central Asia signifies a pivotal phase in its evolution into one of the most extensively cultivated grain crops across Asia and globally. Despite its significance, the precise role of arid Central Asia, a historic crossroads of Eurasia, in the early diffusion of rice remains elusive. This study utilizes phytolith analysis to examine the Haheren site in the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, covering the late first millennium BC to the early first millennium AD (387 cal. BC to cal. AD 320). Our results provide evidence supporting alternative routes for the westward dispersal of rice, the Xinjiang Routes. Furthermore, the study suggests the applicability of the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor (IAMC) model in elucidating the specific paths and mechanisms that facilitated rice dispersal through the Xinjiang Routes. The discovery of wheat and broomcorn and foxtail millet, coupled with radiocarbon dates and previously identified irrigation facilities, introduces novel perspectives on the internal expansion of farming in Central Asia.