Plant remains recovered from the Houtaomuga site in Jilin Province, Northeast China: A focus on Phase I (12,900-11,000 cal. BP) and Phase II (8,000-7,000cal. BP)

Within the Dongbei region, Jilin has been left mostly unknown to international archaeological communities, compared to Liaoning and eastern Inner Mongolia. The Houtaomuga site is a good case study that can fill this void, documenting a long-term cultural sequence from the Early Holocene to historical periods. With a discovery of the earliest known pottery in the Dongbei region, Houtaomuga can offer insight into the Early Holocene adaptation. In order to complement ongoing discussion on Early Holocene subsistence, we present our preliminary data on plant resources in early phases of Houtaomuga, including Phase I (12,900-11,000 cal. BP) and Phase II (8,000-7,000 cal. BP). Our current analysis suggests use of upland and wetland plant resources in early phases at Houtaomuga. One grain of broomcorn millet was found in a ditch where encrustation on pottery was dated to 7,675-7,567 cal. BP (MTC-17588). We cannot substantiate a presence of millet with such a small quantity without a direct AMS date.