| Abstract: |
Charcoal from archaeological contexts provides a direct and durable record of the woody vegetation selected and exploited by past human communities. When combined with other lines of evidence, it enables a comprehensive understanding of human-vegetation dynamics in ancient societies. In southwest China, where ecological and cultural diversity is particularly high, anthracology remains in its infancy. This study presents new anthracological data from the Xiyuancun site on the Chengdu Plain, illuminating the relationship between local vegetation and woodland exploitation. The analysis focuses on charcoal remains from the site’s earliest occupation, a sedentary farming settlement of the Shierqiao Culture dated mainly to 1271–835 cal. BC. The assemblage is dominated by Bambusoideae, followed by Rosaceae, with a few minor broadleaf taxa and a single conifer. This composition reflects a landscape of bamboo forests and subtropical evergreen-deciduous broadleaf mixed forests surrounding the settlement, a pattern also observed at contemporaneous sites in the region. The abundance of heliophilous taxa, especially Bambusoideae and Rosaceae, suggests the development of a bamboo-dominated open woodland. This woodland likely represents a disturbed secondary community, primarily shaped by human activities, though climatic factors may also have contributed. Among the human activities influencing its formation, wood selection and woodland management were particularly significant. The preferential use of bamboo for fuel, timber, and food, driven by its abundance and favorable properties, further reinforced its dominance. This study demonstrates how Bronze Age communities on the Chengdu Plain actively modified local vegetation by selectively favoring certain species and promoting their spread through human management.
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