The first archaeobotanical evidence of Medicago sativa L. in China: hay fodder for livestock
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(2020) 12:2
ORIGINAL PAPER
The first archaeobotanical evidence of Medicago sativa L. in China: hay fodder for livestock Tao Chen 1 & Bo Wang 2 & Robert C. Power 3,4 & Hongen Jiang 5 Received: 10 July 2019 / Accepted: 10 December 2019 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Three piles of shoots, leaves, and pods were discovered in the Zagunluk cemetery (about AD 100–400 based on 14C dating), Xinjiang, NW China. Morphological characteristics assigned the specimens to Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa). The preserved condition of alfalfa remains unambiguously indicate that the plant was of great economic importance and used as hay fodder at that time. This study provides the first systematic archeobotanical data about the forage utilization of alfalfa and the earliest relevant physical material so far known in China. Our results also help us to understand the dispersal of alfalfa across the Eurasia via the southern Xinjiang region and the cultural exchange information between China and the West. Keywords Archeobotany . Medicago sativa L. . Forage . Ancient animal husbandry . Zagunluk cemetery . Xinjiang
Introduction Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa) is a perennial, erect herb, which is widely grown throughout the world. It is generally believed that alfalfa originated from Southwest Asia and was likely first domesticated in Caucasus, Turkey, and Iran over several thousand years ago (Muller et al. 2005). The earliest written reference for alfalfa used as forage was also found in this area, which was recorded on a stone tablet dated to 1300 BC (Li et al. 2012). Alfalfa is rich in protein, vitamins and various minerals and serves as a superior forage crop. Due to its high
* Hongen Jiang [email protected] Tao Chen [email protected] 1
Department of Archaeology, School of History and Culture, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
2
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum, Urumchi 830091, China
3
Institut für Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie und Provinzialrömische Archäologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80799 Munich, Germany
4
Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
5
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
nutritional value and nitrogen-fixing abilities, it ensures sustainable soil fertility and was honored as “the best horse fodder” by ancient Arabic and Persian sources, as well as “queen of the forages” at present (Griffiths 1949; Rafińska et al. 2017). As the most important and widely distributed forage crop in the world, alfalfa has been gradually transmitted to other countries from its origin area since antiquity. According to Pliny, alfalfa was introduced into Greece by the invasion of Persians in about 490 BC and later acquired by the Romans. From then on, the ancient Greeks and Romans were aware of the value of alfalfa and named it “medic,” which is the source of the modern botanical name “Medicago.” As the military o
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