Wetland Resources in Early Millet-Based Subsistence: Archaeobotanical Evidence from Dasikong (ca. 7000–6000 BP), Huan River Basin, Northern China

CHEN Xuexiang* and ZHANG Shuhan

In the early agricultural societies of the Yellow River Basin, China, river valley and wetland environments profoundly influenced the subsistence strategies of ancient humans. Based on systematic archaeobotanical research at the Dasikong site (early Yangshao period, ca. 7000–6000 BP) in the Huan River Basin, this paper investigates the subsistence economy of the site and its relationship with aquatic environments. Flotation results show that subsistence was dominated by dry farming of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum). Abundant remains of wetland and aquatic plants (Oryza sativa, Trapa bispinosa, Euryale ferox) and wild fruits (Hovenia dulcis, Prunus japonica) were also recovered. Located on the alluvial plain of the Huan River, Dasikong had favourable floodplains and seasonally waterlogged areas for wetland resource gathering. The occurrence of numerous wild plants favouring moist environments further indicates the exploitation of microenvironments such as swamps and riverbanks. Though less numerous than crops, aquatic plants served as a stable supplementary food source and provided seasonal food security. In summary, the subsistence economy at the early Yangshao Dasikong site exhibits a composite pattern dominated by dry farming and supplemented by wetland resources. Millet agriculture formed a stable food base, while the exploitation of wetland resources significantly enhanced subsistence diversity and resilience. This case highlights the crucial role of aquatic environments in prehistoric subsistence economies: wetlands functioned as complementary resource zones that contributed to subsistence diversity within a millet-based farming economy, providing a case study for understanding human–environment interactions in the early Yellow River Basin.