新疆米兰遗址吐蕃时期的植物遗存

米兰遗址位于新疆塔里木盆地东南缘的若羌县,是丝绸之路新疆段南道上的重要遗址之一,延续年代可从吐蕃占领时期上溯至汉朝。遗址群内包含佛寺、屯田、灌溉水利设施、烽燧、戍堡以及城址等15处单体遗迹。2012年,新疆文物考古研究所对米兰遗址再次发掘,其中戍堡内出土了一批植物遗存,年代在距今1200年左右,包括黍、粟、青稞、小麦、桃、稗子、小獐毛和苦豆子等8种。结合植物鉴定和前人研究成果,本文认为吐蕃占领时期的米兰地区微环境较今天更为湿润,米兰戍堡的守卫者有一定的屯垦行为。除栽培谷物外,此地还有一定规模的桃树栽培。

Plant remains of the Tubo period in the Milan site,Xinjiang

The Milan site is located in the Ruoqiang County on the southeastern edge of the Tarim Basin. As one of the important sites in the southern section of the Silk Road in Xinjiang, it can be traced from the Han Dynasty to the Tubo occupation period (200 BC-900 AD). Altogether, 15 individual relics such as Buddhist temples, irrigation facilities, beacon tower, garrison and city sites were discovered in the Milan site. The garrison site was excavated in the year of 2012 by the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology. Apart from the various cultural relics, plant remains were unearthed including common millet (Panicum miliaceum), foxtail millet (Setaria italica), naked barley (Hordeum vulgare var. coeleste), wheat (Triticum aestivum), peach (Amygdalus persica), as well as weeds like Echinochloa crusgalli, Aeluropus pungens var. pungens and Sophora alopecuroides. According to results of the plant identification and the relics of irrigation systems, there were farming garrison troops with crop cultivation of different species in the Milan site. Since there were roots, stems, and the other parts of the cereals, all of them should be local cultivated instead of transported from the other areas. Apart from cereal cultivation, there were also peach stones discovered, which suggested local horticultural activities 1200 years before.