Ecological conditions in the prehistoric Tengger desert regions (northwestern China) inferred by microfossil evidence from archaeological sites

Abstract

While prehistoric human activities in desert regions have been documented in previous studies, direct environmental research on desert archaeological sites, particularly in China, remains notably scarce. This study aims to reconstruct the ecological conditions of ancient populations (12–6 ka) inhabiting China’s Tengger Desert regions by analyzing phytolith and microcharcoal preserved in deposits from three key archaeological sites. Results show broadly consistent phytolith assemblages across the three sites, with measurable contributions from Arundiaceae (plateau saddle, reed bulliform) and Pooideae (rondel, trapezoid), indicating patchy wetland microenvironments in an arid landscape. Although millet agriculture developed in regions adjacent to the desert after 8 ka, no phytolith evidence of millet cultivation has been identified within the three sites. Our research offers new evidence on prehistoric human living conditions in desert areas from the terminal Pleistocene to the mid-Holocene.