Foodways at Sanxingcun: Pottery Vessel Sets and Plant Use in the Neolithic Taihu Delta

HE Yahui

Foodways provide important insights into subsistence strategies and social practices in Neolithic societies of the Lower Yangtze River valley. This study examines foodways at the Sanxingcun site (6500–5500 BP) in the Taihu delta through the analysis of pottery vessel sets recovered from both mortuary and residential contexts dating from the Majiabang to Songze periods. By integrating pottery assemblage analysis with microbotanical evidence, this research explores how plant foods were consumed and incorporated into both daily and ritual practices. Microbotanical residues recovered from pottery vessels reveal the processing of a diverse range of plant resources, including rice, Panicoideae, Triticeae, and underground storage organs. These remains suggest that Neolithic communities in the Taihu delta relied on a broad-spectrum plant economy that combined rice cultivation with the continued exploitation of wild grasses and root crops. These findings highlight the diversity of plant use and the social dimensions of foodways at Sanxingcun, contributing to broader discussions of both subsistence and ritual practices in Neolithic societies of the Lower Yangtze region.