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Traditional zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical methods based on morphological identification of the excavated faunal and floral remains have been broadly used in reconstructing ancient subsistence economies. However, the accuracy and reliability of these methods rely heavily on the preservation state of the remains. By sequencing the ancient DNA of plants, animals, and microorganisms preserved in sediment, sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) now offers a novel approach for reconstructing the taxa composition dated back to hundreds of thousands of years. Yet, its application in open-air archaeological sites is rarely reported. In this study, we attempted to apply sedaDNA shotgun metagenomics on the archaeological deposits of the Khog Gzung site (an open-air site dated to 3160–2954 cal yr BP) on the Tibetan Plateau, and then compared the reconstructed taxonomic composition to the unearthed remains. Results showed that most of the crops and domestic animals identified by the two approaches, such as barley (Hordeum vulgare) and sheep (Ovis aries), are in general consistent. Some species, such as foxtail millet (Setaria italica), however, was only detected by sedaDNA. In addition, a variety of microorganisms were also detected by the sedaDNA. The two approaches combined revealed diversified food recourses at the Khog Gzung site, which included crops such as millet, barley and wheat, domestic animals such as sheep and cattle, and likely also wild animals from fishing and hunting. Our data proves that sedaDNA has a great potential in reconstructing the faunal and floral compositions from archaeological deposits, therefore laying the foundation for its border applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) has two main subspecies, indica (O. sativa sub. indica) and japonica (O. sativa sub. japonica). Japonica rice was domesticated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China, while indica appeared around 4000 a BP in northern south Asia after hybridization between introduced japonica and indigenous proto-indica. When and how indica rice spread into China is still barely understood, although it is cultivated widely in southern China today. Here we report on the earliest, definite indica rice remains in China, including charred seeds, phytoliths, and ancient DNA, from the newly investigated Kongsangqiao site at an elevation of 2676 m above sea level in Tibet, along with a charcoal study that reveals the vegetation and climate during of human occupation. AMS radiocarbon dating of charred indica rice grains suggests the remains are from the 8th century (700s CE). The dominant identified charcoal fragments are Himalayan pine (Pinus wallichiana), from which a rather cold climate is inferred where indica rice could not be grown in situ, suggesting it was likely brought to the site. Both archaeological and literature records thus support that indica rice, fully domesticated in northern south Asia, had spread to the southern margin of the Tibetan Plateau via parts of the ancient Tang-Tubo Road, Tubo-Nepal Road, by at least the 8th century CE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of archaeological work has long impeded our understanding of prehistoric and historical human inhabitation and East-West interactions on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP). In this study, we conducted a series of systematic archaeological investigations in the Nyingchi region, on the southeastern TP. We examined archaeological stratigraphies from 10 sites and collected charred seeds and charcoals for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating. The 26 radiocarbon dates show that the earliest inhabitation in the Nyingchi region can be traced back to as early as the fifth millennium BP. In addition, results of summed probability distribution (SPD) of radiocarbon dates suggest that intensive human activities occurred between c. 2700 and 2000 cal. yr BP. Together with the pottery net sinkers found in previous investigation, the newly identified archaeobotanical assemblages, including crops such as barley (Hordeum vulgare), naked barley (Hordeum vulgare var. nudum), wheat (Triticum aestivum) and pea (Pisum sativum), also confirm that cultivation and fishing were important subsistence strategies for people living in the prehistoric Nyingchi. The discoveries of domesticated crops from Southwest Asia also suggest that the southeastern TP, represented by the Nyingchi region, was part of the early communication network between the East and the West, predating historical Highland Silk Road. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qinghai-Tibet plateau is a natural plague focus and is the largest such focus in China. In this area, while Marmota himalayana is the primary host, a total of 18 human plague outbreaks associated with Tibetan sheep (78 cases with 47 deaths) have been reported on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau since 1956. All of the index infectious cases had an exposure history of slaughtering or skinning diseased or dead Tibetan sheep. In this study, we sequenced and compared 38 strains of Yersinia pestis isolated from different hosts, including humans, Tibetan sheep, and M. himalayana. Phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed based on genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms identified from our isolates and reference strains. The phylogenetic relationships illustrated in our study, together with the finding that the Tibetan sheep plague clearly lagged behind the M. himalayana plague, and a previous study that identified the Tibetan sheep as a plague reservoir with high susceptibility and moderate sensitivity, indicated that the human plague was transmitted from Tibetan sheep, while the Tibetan sheep plague originated from marmots. Tibetan sheep may encounter this infection by contact with dead rodents or through being bitten by fleas originating from M. himalayana during local epizootics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Often referred to as the "Third Pole", the Tibetan Plateau combines high elevation, extreme cold temperatures, hyper-aridity, and low oxygen levels. The strategy that early populations adopted to adapt to the harsh environment of the Tibetan Plateau has always attracted much attention. However, relevant studies have predominantly focused on the relatively lower elevation northeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau (<3000 m a.s.l.), with limited study in areas of ultrahigh elevation (>3500 m a.s.l.). This paper employed the flotation method and charcoal analysis of survey profiles from thirteen archaeological sites in the ultrahigh-elevation region of the middle Yarlung Zangbo River basin on the southern Tibetan Plateau, and finds that ancient people have been active in this region since the last deglaciation. The primary fuel sources used by ancient populations were small trees such as sea buckthorn (Hippophae gyantsensis) and shrubs such as juniper (Juniperus). The widespread use of undesirable wood (dwarf thorny shrub) like Sophora moorcroftiana and Caragana , along with the phenomenon of many sites relying on a single taxon, reflects the prevalent issue of fuel scarcity in this ultrahigh-elevation region. This might have been a driving factor for the early adoption of animal dung as a primary fuel source by ancient populations on the southern Tibetan Plateau. • Thirteen new dating data greatly fill the gap in the history of human activities in the ultrahigh elevations. • First study of wood-fuel strategies of ancient populations at ultrahigh elevations. • Interpreting the livelihoods of ancient populations at ultrahigh elevations from the perspective of fuel utilization. • Proposing that the use of animal dung as fuel by populations was earlier due to the wood fuel scarcity at ultrahigh elevations on the Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]