Mosaic pattern of sustained rice domestication and its environmental and cultural implications in Neolithic East China

China is one of the main locations in which rice agriculture occurs, with East China now playing a significant role in research on rice domestication and culture interactions. However, the exact timing of sustained rice domestication and the process of prehistoric cultural exchange in East China remain unclear. Here, we present phytolith records of two profiles from Lingjiatan in the Chaohu Lake Basin. Our results show that rice cultivation was practiced throughout the Lingjiatan culture period (5800-5300 cal BP), and that sustained rice domestication began around 5500 cal BP, which was later than on the Taihu Plain (∼6200 cal BP), Ningshao Plain (∼5800 cal BP), and along the middle and lower Huai River (∼5800 cal BP). Combining other archaeological records and geomorphological features in East China, we hypothesize three possible routes for the spread of rice cultivation and cultural exchange between the lower Yangtze River and the middle and lower Huai River. Lingjiatan, situated at the intersection of two of the possible routes, experienced a gradual increase in its settled population as a result of cultural exchange and technological innovations in cultivation, thereby giving rise to its distinctive culture. This study demonstrates the significant role of Lingjiatan in facilitating transportation and fostering cultural exchange in East China during the mid-Holocene.