Figure 1.
Map of the location of the Astana Cemeteries (adapted from [14], modified).
Figure 2.
Materials chosen for microfossil analysis.
(A) Five cakes labeled 1–5 chosen for microfossil analysis. Scale bar = 2 cm; (B) Dumping chosen for microfossil analysis. Scale bar = 2 cm; (C) Desiccated porridge chosen for microfossil analysis. Scale bar = 2 cm; (D) A small bag of Setaria italica from tomb No. 64TAM5:37. Scale bar = 2 cm; (E) A pillow from tomb No. 73TAM519:18 using stalks of Triticum aestivum and H. vulgare var. coeleste as filling. Scale bar = 5 cm.
Table 1.
Data regarding unearthed cereal and food remains from tombs.
Table 2.
Statistical results of macrobotanical samples.
Figure 3.
Materials chosen for macrofossil analysis.
(A), (B) caryopses of Setaria italica; (C) grains with palea and lemma of Setaria italica; (D) grains with palea and lemma of Panicum miliaceum; (E), (F) caryopses of Panicum miliaceum; (G) a leaf sheath of Panicum miliaceum; (H) fruits of Cannabis sativa; (I), (J) caryopses of Triticum aestivum; (K) rachis segment of Triticum aestivum; (L), (M) one grain with palea and lemma of Hordeum vulgare; (N), (O) caryopses of Hordeum vulgare var. coeleste; (P) grains with palea and lemma of Oryza sativa. (Scale bar: 2 mm).
Figure 4.
Starch grains from modern plants.
The upper row photographs showing starch grains under transmitted light; and the lower row showing corresponding ones under polarized light. (A) starch grains from wheat (Triticum aestivum); (B) starch grains from barley (Hordeum vulgare); (C) starch grains from naked barley (Hordeum vulgare var. coeleste); (D) starch grains from modern common millet (Panicum miliaceum). (Scale bar: 20 µm).
Figure 5.
Comparison of starch size ranges (maximum length) between archaeological samples and modern references.
Figure 6.
Microfossils extracted from ancient processed food.
(A) starch grains from dumpling. Scale bar = 20 µm; (B) starch grains from cakes. Scale bar = 20 µm; (C) starch grains from porridge. Scale bar = 20 µm; (D) silicified epidermis from rice glume. Scale bar = 200 µm; (E) phytoliths from porridge. Scale bar = 20 µm; (F), (G) phytoliths from dumpling. Scale bar = 20 µm; (H) bran fragments from dumpling. Scale bar = 20 µm; (I) bran fragments from cakes. Scale bar = 20 µm.
Table 3.
Starch grain size of modern and archaeological samples.
Table 4.
Measured data of dendriform epidermal long cells and the R value of samples.
Figure 7.
Painted figurines of working women excavated from the Astana Cemteries.
They are 9.7–16 cm in height, with vivid expressions and gestures. All of them are deposited in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomious Region Museum. (A) dehusking rice with mortar and pestle. (B) winnowing cereal crop. (C) milling flour. (D) baking pan cake (provided by Prof. Yongbing Zhang).