The Emergence of Rice and Millet Farming in the Zang-Yi Corridor of Southwest China Dates Back to 5000 Years Ago

The Zang-Yi Corridor is of pivotal significance for the interactions between northwest China, southwest and mainland Southeast Asia. It has been hypothesized that formation mixed farming in this region its surrounding areas was based on multiple waves crop dispersal, with foxtail millet broomcorn arriving first from China around 5,300 cal. BP rice middle Yangtze valley after 4,700 BP. Based systematic sampling direct dating conducted at Guijiabao site, Sichuan Province, study demonstrates by no later than 5,000 BP, had already emerged south part corridor, which much earlier expected before. With new evidence, it argued transformation into Southwest dispersal a package comprising millet, instead different introduction. A further comparison all archaeobotanical data revealed patterns varied significantly sites because their diverse environmental conditions.