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Cultivated Rice Kernel 12,000 Years Ago Discovered In Hunan
China.org - Xinhua News ^ | 2-6-2005

Posted on 03/15/2008 5:17:27 PM PDT by blam

Cultivated Rice Kernel 12,000 Years Ago Discovered in Hunan

The rice kernel discovered in the Yuchanyan cultural relics in Central China's Hunan Province may be the earliest cultivated rice specimen yet discovered, said archaeologists.

During the excavation at the Yuchanyan cultural relics in Daoxian County at the end of 2004, six rice kernels were discovered. The age of one was confirmed at 12,000 years ago, a transitional period from the Paleolithic Age to the Neolithic Age (10,000 years ago), or even earlier, said Yuan Jiarong, director of the provincial archaeological research institute.

The ages of other five grains, which were found nearer to the earth's surface, are still unidentified, said Yuan.

"As the oldest cultivated rice specimen ever discovered in the world, the discovery marks the significance of central China in the origin of the world rice cultivation culture," said Yuan.

The discovery was regarded as a significant achievement of the research topic on the origin of rice in China, which has seen the participation of experts from the School of Archaeology and Museology of Beijing University, the Department of Anthropology of Harvard University, the Boston University, China Agricultural University, the Weizmann Institute of Science of Israel as well as the Hunan Provincial archaeological research institute, said Yuan.

Four rice kernels were discovered in the Yuchanyan cultural relics in 1993 and 1995. Predating the then generally accepted history of rice production by as much as 4,000 years, the rice kernels, which could be dated back to the period between Paleolithic and Neolithic ages, were the earliest rice specimens ever discovered in the world.

To make further exploration of the cultural relics, archaeologists made another excavation in 2004, during which the six rice kernels and some ceramic pieces were discovered.

Locals showed Yuan the cave in 1998 when he was holding a training course on cave archaeology.

The cave, five meters above the ground, covers an area of 100 square meters.

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2005)


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 120000; china; cultivated; godsgravesglyphs; rice

1 posted on 03/15/2008 5:17:29 PM PDT by blam
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To: SunkenCiv

GGG Ping.


2 posted on 03/15/2008 5:17:52 PM PDT by blam (Secure the border and enforce the law)
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To: blam
The cave, five meters above the ground,

AIR CAVE!

3 posted on 03/15/2008 5:19:01 PM PDT by null and void (It's 3 AM, do you know where Hillary is? Does she know where Bill is? Does Bill know what 'is' is?)
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To: blam
wow, thought it said, "discovered in human."

I was thinking, "man, that's too much information."

4 posted on 03/15/2008 5:23:33 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (A moderate Muslim is one who acts like a Christian.)
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To: null and void
AIR CAVE!

lol.

5 posted on 03/15/2008 5:24:12 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (A moderate Muslim is one who acts like a Christian.)
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To: blam
Beer was our friend, even then <G>
6 posted on 03/15/2008 5:33:23 PM PDT by cake_crumb (I will criticize Obama as much and as often as I want.)
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To: blam

The Chinese failed to identify the rice impailed crisper as a terrorist.


7 posted on 03/15/2008 5:38:00 PM PDT by Eddie01 (Freepers don't let Freepers get spun)
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To: blam
Also found nearby were bean sprouts, water chestnuts, pork, and a box like this:


8 posted on 03/15/2008 5:38:47 PM PDT by Mannaggia l'America
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To: Eddie01

that’s because he was already on record as being impaled as a traitor. Oh. Impailed. ....errr...


9 posted on 03/15/2008 5:40:26 PM PDT by cake_crumb (I will criticize Obama as much and as often as I want.)
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To: blam

Did the rice have lead in it, or melamine or whatever other toxic chemical that “slipped” by the inspectors.


10 posted on 03/15/2008 5:57:05 PM PDT by Nomad577
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To: blam

Question:

How do they determine that the grain of rice was cultivated, rather than gathered or naturally fallen and blown to where it lay in the regular process of seed dispersal?


11 posted on 03/15/2008 6:04:44 PM PDT by Grimmy (equivocation is but the first step along the road to capitulation)
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To: blam
I wonder if there is a grain of truth to this.

;-)

12 posted on 03/15/2008 6:10:38 PM PDT by SIDENET (Hubba Hubba...)
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To: blam

but,but,but......was it organic or GM?


13 posted on 03/15/2008 6:19:18 PM PDT by Aussiebabe
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You know, this is really interesting because it adds
additional information about the start of agriculture.
14 posted on 03/15/2008 6:26:25 PM PDT by Donna Giorno
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To: Grimmy
"How do they determine that the grain of rice was cultivated, rather than gathered or naturally fallen and blown to where it lay in the regular process of seed dispersal?"

Cultivated traits are different than wild traits?

15 posted on 03/15/2008 7:33:05 PM PDT by blam (Secure the border and enforce the law)
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To: blam

Don’t ask me. The only farming I ever tried to do is for raid gear in mmos. I even suck at that.


16 posted on 03/15/2008 7:53:11 PM PDT by Grimmy (equivocation is but the first step along the road to capitulation)
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To: blam; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 24Karet; 3AngelaD; 49th; ...

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic ·

 
Gods
Graves
Glyphs
Thanks Blam.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
GGG managers are Blam, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
 

· Google · Archaeologica · ArchaeoBlog · Archaeology magazine · Biblical Archaeology Society ·
· Mirabilis · Texas AM Anthropology News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo ·
· History or Science & Nature Podcasts · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·


17 posted on 03/17/2008 1:12:43 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/______________________Profile updated Saturday, March 1, 2008)
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To: SunkenCiv

Antediluvian bump


18 posted on 03/17/2008 5:33:24 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: blam
Cultivated Rice Kernel 12,000 Years Ago Discovered In Hunan

It sure looked funny when I thought it said "in human".
19 posted on 03/17/2008 5:34:41 PM PDT by aruanan
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To: BenLurkin

Uncle Diluvian is even older.


20 posted on 03/18/2008 9:19:57 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/______________________Profile updated Saturday, March 1, 2008)
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