Broomcorn millet cultivation in the SW East European Plain since the second millennium BC

The early trans-Eurasian exchange and its influence on the dynamics of human-land relationships is an emerging topic involving multiple disciplines. The southwestern part of the East European Plain (hereafter the SW East European Plain) served as a key corridor of the Silk Road and entryway to the Eurasian steppes, providing a major route connecting Europe with Central and West Asia. Broomcorn millet, a crop domesticated in China, was introduced into the region about 3,600 years ago, significantly earlier than in other parts of Europe. Direct dates of broomcorn millet are primarily from the eastern part of the region, leaving uncertainties about its spread within the area and the timing of the introduction of foxtail millet. To clarify the spatio-temporal processes of the spread of broomcorn and foxtail millet and to detect potential changes in their proportions within crop structures over time, it is therefore necessary to carry out systematic flotation to obtain more direct dates of archaeological millet grains from secure contexts.

This study is led by Dr. AN Ting, ZHU Luoya, and TIAN Jie from the School of Art and Archaeology at the Zhejiang University, Dr. WEN Chenghao from the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Dr. YANG Meng and HAO Hongxing from the Zhengzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, as well as Dr. Magda LAZAROVICI and Dr. Gheorghe LAZAROVICI from the Institute of Archaeology Iasi. The researchers systematically analyzed flotation samples from two sites in Romania on the SW East European Plain: Baia-În Muchie (spanning the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age) and Dobrovăț (yielding remains from the Chalcolithic and Iron Age). In conjunction with AMS radiocarbon dating, the researchers sought to establish a chronological framework for assessing the cultivation patterns of broomcorn and foxtail millet in this region.

At the Baia-În Muchie site, 97 carbonized broomcorn millet grains (Panicum miliaceum) and two carbonized wheat grains (Triticum sp.) were identified, representing 73% of all plant remains uncovered. The crops found at the Dobrovăț site, including broomcorn millet grains (Panicum miliaceum) and wheat (Triticum sp.), totaled 149, accounting for 50% of all plant remains. Flotation results from the Baia-În Muchie and Dobrovăț sites indicate that both the absolute quantity and recovery frequency of broomcorn millet, a crop originating from East Asia, suggest it was equally as significant as wheat, a traditional European crop. In this study, the researchers selected broomcorn millet and wheat samples for AMS radiocarbon dating, yielding 16 AMS dates: 14 for broomcorn millet and two for wheat. Using the IntCal20 calibration curve, the radiocarbon dates were calibrated with OxCal v.4.4.4 software. The earliest broomcorn millet sample dates to 1442-1285 cal BC, while the latest ranges from cal AD 890 to 1020. The two wheat samples are dated to 4336-4226 cal BC and 4333-4224 cal BC, respectively.

The findings demonstrate that broomcorn millet cultivation in this region has persisted for over 2,000 years, exhibiting significant diachronic fluctuations. Millet was most intensively utilized during the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age (1200–800 BC) and the Late Roman Empire (AD 250–400), periods which were characterized by rapid climatic changes. It may have been cultivated as a “disaster relief” crop to mitigate the challenges posed by extreme drought and cold. The millet grains from the study area are similar in dimensions to those reported in East Asia; however, grains from the Romanian sites are thinner and longer. The route traversing the Caucasus and the northern Black Sea likely served as a key passage through which millet entered Europe from West Asia.

This research provides valuable data on the chronology of millet cultivation in the SW Eastern European Plain and enhances our understanding of early East-West exchanges and their impact on human-environment interactions in critical regions.

See the article:

An T, Zhu L, Tian J, Wen C, Yang M, Hao H, Lazarovici M, Lazarovici G. 2025. Broomcorn millet cultivation in the SW East European Plain since the second millennium BC. Science China Earth Sciences, 68(2): 487–497, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-024-1462-3