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Micro‐morphological characterization of dry‐farming soils at Yangshao site in China about 5000 B.P.

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Title: Micro‐morphological characterization of dry‐farming soils at Yangshao site in China about 5000 B.P.
Authors: Zha, Lisi1 (AUTHOR), Wang, Wenjing2,3 (AUTHOR) wangwenjing_2012@163.com, Xu, Qian1 (AUTHOR), Wang, Zonghe1 (AUTHOR), Wu, Shuhuang1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Soil Science Society of America Journal. Mar2026, Vol. 90 Issue 2, p1-19. 19p.
Subjects: Soil micromorphology, Dry farming, Chinese history, Neolithic Period, Traditional farming, Soil testing
Geographic Terms: China
Abstract: The dryland farming culture embodied in the Yangshao culture (5000–7000 B.P.) is a precious agricultural cultural heritage that profoundly influenced the development of Chinese civilization. Currently, the study of primitive agricultural cultures in the northern region is relatively limited. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the documentation and research on relevant farming techniques and heritage, which can serve as a basis for preparing the Declaration of Agricultural Cultural Heritage in China and even worldwide. In this study, soil profile field surveys, basic physicochemical analysis, and soil micromorphological analysis were conducted to extract ancient cultivation information from multiple cultural layers at the Yangshao Village site, aiming to understand the characteristics of agricultural culture during that period (5000–7000 B.P.). The results of the study revealed that the cultural layers were mostly gray‐brown in color and contained pottery shards, bones, and charcoal, with high total nitrogen content and the highest content of total phosphorus and calcium carbonate. The soil formation materials and aggregates in the cultural layers exhibited diversification, and microstructural observations revealed iron minerals and black charcoal formed by fire, crystals, aggregates, fecal pellets formed by fertilization and irrigation, and artificial disturbance traces formed by soil cultivation. Through the research, it was found that there was a good correlation between macroscopic observations, basic physicochemical analysis, and micromorphological analysis of soil samples, enabling the classification of ancient cultivation activity areas into high and low probability categories. By reconstructing the ancient landforms, it was discovered that ancient humans began their activities, particularly cultivation activities, in low‐lying areas, which promoted the formation of a sponge‐like microstructure in the soil. Overall, the macroscopic characteristics and basic physicochemical properties of the soils corroborate the micromorphological observations, suggesting that the soils in the region are associated with ancient human fire use and farming activities. Core Ideas: Micromorphological analysis reveals evidence of early dryland farming in Yangshao cultural soils.Cultural layers show high N, P, CaCO3 content and artifacts linked to prehistoric human activities.Soil features include excreta, charcoal, iron oxides, and aggregates from ancient cultivation practices. Plain Language Summary: This study looks at ancient farming practices from about 5000–7000 years ago at the Yangshao Village site in China. The goal was to learn how early people farmed the land and how their actions changed the soil. To do this, we studied soil layers that were buried over time. We tested their physical and chemical properties and looked at the soil under a microscope. We found that the soil in these layers was rich in nutrients and contained pottery pieces, bones, charcoal, and other signs of human activity. Some soil parts showed clear marks of farming, such as fertilizer remains and patterns from digging or plowing. We also found that early farmers chose low‐lying land, which helped the soil form a sponge‐like structure that could hold water and air better. These results show that early people had developed farming skills and were shaping the land to grow crops. This research helps us understand how farming began in northern China and why this area is important for protecting agricultural heritage recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Soil Science Society of America Journal is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: The dryland farming culture embodied in the Yangshao culture (5000–7000 B.P.) is a precious agricultural cultural heritage that profoundly influenced the development of Chinese civilization. Currently, the study of primitive agricultural cultures in the northern region is relatively limited. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the documentation and research on relevant farming techniques and heritage, which can serve as a basis for preparing the Declaration of Agricultural Cultural Heritage in China and even worldwide. In this study, soil profile field surveys, basic physicochemical analysis, and soil micromorphological analysis were conducted to extract ancient cultivation information from multiple cultural layers at the Yangshao Village site, aiming to understand the characteristics of agricultural culture during that period (5000–7000 B.P.). The results of the study revealed that the cultural layers were mostly gray‐brown in color and contained pottery shards, bones, and charcoal, with high total nitrogen content and the highest content of total phosphorus and calcium carbonate. The soil formation materials and aggregates in the cultural layers exhibited diversification, and microstructural observations revealed iron minerals and black charcoal formed by fire, crystals, aggregates, fecal pellets formed by fertilization and irrigation, and artificial disturbance traces formed by soil cultivation. Through the research, it was found that there was a good correlation between macroscopic observations, basic physicochemical analysis, and micromorphological analysis of soil samples, enabling the classification of ancient cultivation activity areas into high and low probability categories. By reconstructing the ancient landforms, it was discovered that ancient humans began their activities, particularly cultivation activities, in low‐lying areas, which promoted the formation of a sponge‐like microstructure in the soil. Overall, the macroscopic characteristics and basic physicochemical properties of the soils corroborate the micromorphological observations, suggesting that the soils in the region are associated with ancient human fire use and farming activities. Core Ideas: Micromorphological analysis reveals evidence of early dryland farming in Yangshao cultural soils.Cultural layers show high N, P, CaCO3 content and artifacts linked to prehistoric human activities.Soil features include excreta, charcoal, iron oxides, and aggregates from ancient cultivation practices. Plain Language Summary: This study looks at ancient farming practices from about 5000–7000 years ago at the Yangshao Village site in China. The goal was to learn how early people farmed the land and how their actions changed the soil. To do this, we studied soil layers that were buried over time. We tested their physical and chemical properties and looked at the soil under a microscope. We found that the soil in these layers was rich in nutrients and contained pottery pieces, bones, charcoal, and other signs of human activity. Some soil parts showed clear marks of farming, such as fertilizer remains and patterns from digging or plowing. We also found that early farmers chose low‐lying land, which helped the soil form a sponge‐like structure that could hold water and air better. These results show that early people had developed farming skills and were shaping the land to grow crops. This research helps us understand how farming began in northern China and why this area is important for protecting agricultural heritage recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Soil Science Society of America Journal is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1002/saj2.70208
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 19
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    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Soil micromorphology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Dry farming
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Chinese history
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Neolithic Period
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      – SubjectFull: Traditional farming
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Soil testing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: China
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Micro‐morphological characterization of dry‐farming soils at Yangshao site in China about 5000 B.P.
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            NameFull: Zha, Lisi
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            NameFull: Xu, Qian
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              M: 03
              Text: Mar2026
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              Y: 2026
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