Lithic Artifacts Starch Residues from Fenghuangzui Neolithic Site (4400-4200 cal BP) in Central China: Identification and Implications

Starch residues on lithics are crucial for exploring the function and use pattern of stone tools and reconstructing the ecological environment, diet, and subsistence strategies of ancient populations. Recent excavations at Fenghuangzui Site (4400 − 4200 cal BP) revealed abundant Shijiahe Culture remains, especially feature H13 with a large amont of pottery, lithics and ashes were unearthed, which may indicate population gathering and communal activities. This paper analyses starch granules from 23 lithic artifacts (e.g., Fragment tools, Core-tools, Bipolar Products) unearthed from H13. The results indicate that the extracted starch granules primarily belong to nuts, roots, and tubers, demonstrating that these lithic artifacts were used for processing local rhizome plants. Combined with rice and millet indicated by macro-remains and phytoliths, the finding showed a wide diet of these inhabitants. This paper provides a new case study of starch granules in the Late Neolithic sites of the Middle Yangtze River valley.