Starch granule analysis reveals the functions of stone tools and implications on subsistence economy in Neolithic Yangtze River Basin, China

Stone knife and stone muller are common artefacts belonging to the Neolithic period sites in the Yangtze River Basin, China. The Dawangling archaeological site is an important Neolithic site located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River. One stone knife and one stone muller were excavated from the Neolithic layer and examined using starch residue analysis to determine the functions of these tools. More than 165 starch granules and a few bordered pits of tracheid were retrieved from the residues of these stone tools. The results of starch granule analysis show that stone knife and stone muller were probably agricultural processing tools for ancient humans at the Dawangling site during the Neolithic period and hint at the possible existence of a broadspectrum subsistence economy during the Neolithic period.