Elena A. Sergusheva*
Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Peoples of the Far East, FEB RAS, Vladivostok, Russia
*E-mail: lenasergu@gmail.com
Keywords: water flotation, farming, plants gathering, Panicum miliaceum, Setaria italica.
The article presents the results of a study on the collection of plant seeds obtained during rescue archaeological excavations at the Malmyzh 5 site located in the Lower Amur River. The 2021 study covered the remains of 22 pit dwellings of a long-term occupied settlement of the Iron Age Poltse cultural tradition, dated by 14C to the first half of the 1st millennium AD. Using the water flotation technique, almost 250 liters of soil from deposits of nine objects (eight dwellings and a rubbish pit) was investigated producing 27 samples. A total of 1242 seeds were obtained in 25 samples. Of these, 702 seeds (56.5% of the collection) belonged to cultural plants. Among them two species of millet were identified: 547 pcs. belonged to foxtail millet and 155 pcs. – to broomcorn millet. Gathering plants were represented by 410 specimens belonging to 11 taxa, corresponding to 33.0% of the collection. The weedy plants were represented by 83 seeds from 14 taxa. Remains of cultural millet were found in all eight dwellings studied with flotation and in the rubbish pit. The seeds of foxtail millet are numerically predominant among cultigenens. The quantity, ubiquity, and frequency of millet remains demonstrate the importance of both millet species for the settlement population. At the same time, the low density of millet seeds in settlement deposits, together with the reconstructed size of the settlement and the long period of its existence, as well as relatively small area of land potentially suitable for farming, led to the conclusion that agricultural products were not the main component of the population’s diet. The location of the settlement, numerous finds of fish bones and specialized fishing tools clearly demonstrate the significant role of river fishing for the dwellers of Malmyzh 5.
DOI: 10.7868/S3034577425040025
