Carbonized 2800-years-old wheat grain found in China

Large amount of carbonized wheat grains were found at the site of Haojing, Shaanxi province, north-west China. The find, being 2800 years old, was made in the site that was the capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century-771 BC).

Carbonized wheat grain (by CCTV)

The discovery of such a large amount proves that wheat had been in wide use, and planted around Haojing since at least the middle of the Western Zhou Dynasty. According to the archaeologist wheat originated in China from the area of West Asia and Afghanistan. So far researchers found grain at ancient sites in small amount in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Gansu province. Previous discoveries had proven that ancient people had begun planting wheat in the northern part of China during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) but the recent find may change the current state of knowledge on the issue.

Excavations at Haojing (by CCTV)

(after CRIEnglish & CCTV)

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