It has long been argued that noodles originated in Arabia, or maybe Italy, or maybe even China. So the discovery of the world’s oldest noodles in China certainly tilts the argument in favor of that ancient country.
Something really bad happened at Lajia on the Yellow River about 4,000 years ago. Archaeologists excavating the ancient site discovered skeletons in abnormal positions which indicated they were attempting to flee some sort of disaster. Some experts believe there was a catastrophic earthquake followed by a massive flood, possibly caused by a change in a nearby river’s course.
Archaeologists investigating the site found an earthenware bowl filled with a brownish-yellow, fine clay. They turned it over and found the noodles sitting on top of the sediment.
The noodles resemble the traditional Chinese noodle made by repeatedly pulling and stretching the dough by hand. But unlike modern noodles, which are made of wheat flour, these noodles appear to have been made with millet, a grain native to China.
The oldest written record mentioning noodles has been traced to a book written between 25 and 220 AD during the East Han Dynasty.
There’s more information and a photo of the ancient noodles here:
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Sunday, September 8, 2013
The World's Oldest Rice
At the age of 15,000 years, a few grains of burned rice in Korea are now recognized as the
world’s oldest rice. Since scientists have long believed they would find the oldest rice in China,
this discovery came as a bit of a surprise.
Prior to this discovery, experts believed that rice cultivation began about 12,000 years ago in
China. The Korean discovery pushes back the earliest date for rice cultivation by at least 3,000
years.
A total of 59 grains of carbonized rice was found during excavations at Sorori in the Chungbuk
Province. Their age alone was enough to generate a great deal of excitement, but there was
more. The ancient grains are generally different from modern rice. This will allow researchers
to trace its evolution. Results of this research may provide insight not into the history of rice,
but may provide clues to the diet and lifestyles of the people who grew and harvested it.
Rice is one of the most valuable foods in the world. More than half the world’s population depends heavily on rice for their primary caloric intake. More than 575 million tons were grown in 2002.
For more on this story, go here
world’s oldest rice. Since scientists have long believed they would find the oldest rice in China,
this discovery came as a bit of a surprise.
Prior to this discovery, experts believed that rice cultivation began about 12,000 years ago in
China. The Korean discovery pushes back the earliest date for rice cultivation by at least 3,000
years.
A total of 59 grains of carbonized rice was found during excavations at Sorori in the Chungbuk
Province. Their age alone was enough to generate a great deal of excitement, but there was
more. The ancient grains are generally different from modern rice. This will allow researchers
to trace its evolution. Results of this research may provide insight not into the history of rice,
but may provide clues to the diet and lifestyles of the people who grew and harvested it.
Rice is one of the most valuable foods in the world. More than half the world’s population depends heavily on rice for their primary caloric intake. More than 575 million tons were grown in 2002.
For more on this story, go here
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
The World’s Oldest Primate Fossil
There has been some talk lately that humans originated in Asia rather than Africa. New evidence has just emerged in the form of a tiny fossil recognized as the oldest primate discovered so far. It was found in China’s Hubei province, and is 7 million years older than the previous oldest primate fossil.
The little primate, Archicebus achilles, is a primitive tarsier. This primate group is closely related to monkeys, apes and humans, although it lived before the evolutionary split that divided the three groups. It is a descendant of the ancestor of all primates, but it is not clear yet whether it is a direct ancestor of humans.
The tiny, primitive animal, barely 3 inches (7 centimeters) long and weighing only about 30 grams, lived some 55 million years ago. The world was very warm and its home was a lush rainforest. It probably climbed trees and dined on insects. Dinosaurs had been extinct for some 10 million years when this little fellow lived, and mammals, reptiles and birds were beginning to thrive in a world that had experienced drastic environmental changes 65 million years ago.
The tiny animal somewhat resembles a modern squirrel but with the feet of a monkey. Its arms, legs and teeth resemble those of a primitive primate, and its primitive skull contained surprisingly small eyes.
Scientists will now be kept busy trying to determine where this tiny newcomer fits into the primate family tree. They do not believe that Archicebus achilles is the first primate, but they are certain that it is a descendant of the first one. For now, however, the focus of the search for our possible first primate ancestor almost certainly must shift to the far East.
If you’d like more information about this little primate, visit here
The little primate, Archicebus achilles, is a primitive tarsier. This primate group is closely related to monkeys, apes and humans, although it lived before the evolutionary split that divided the three groups. It is a descendant of the ancestor of all primates, but it is not clear yet whether it is a direct ancestor of humans.
The tiny, primitive animal, barely 3 inches (7 centimeters) long and weighing only about 30 grams, lived some 55 million years ago. The world was very warm and its home was a lush rainforest. It probably climbed trees and dined on insects. Dinosaurs had been extinct for some 10 million years when this little fellow lived, and mammals, reptiles and birds were beginning to thrive in a world that had experienced drastic environmental changes 65 million years ago.
The tiny animal somewhat resembles a modern squirrel but with the feet of a monkey. Its arms, legs and teeth resemble those of a primitive primate, and its primitive skull contained surprisingly small eyes.
Scientists will now be kept busy trying to determine where this tiny newcomer fits into the primate family tree. They do not believe that Archicebus achilles is the first primate, but they are certain that it is a descendant of the first one. For now, however, the focus of the search for our possible first primate ancestor almost certainly must shift to the far East.
If you’d like more information about this little primate, visit here
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