從植物扇形矽酸體分析談：卑南遺址植物利用與稻作

Plant Utilization and Rice Cultivation Based on Phytolith Analysis of the Peinan Site, Eastern Taiwan

卑南遺址是臺灣東部新石器時代晚期卑南文化之代表性遺址，根據周邊的地理環境及氣候特徵得知具有高溫、降雨量不高的特點，適合於旱作植物或農作物的生長，在考古遺物方面亦有大量石質農業收穫器具出土，然長期以來在考古研究上缺乏實際的植物遺留作為佐證。本研究運用植物矽酸體分析為科學方法尋找卑南遺址植物遺留的相關線索，更進一步分析植物遺留的縱時性變化及同時期的空間分布情形，企圖對卑南文化人的植物利用情形及其農業發展概況有突破性地認識。由陶質標本及土壤樣本的分析結果顯示，自卑南文化初期，稻米就與史前人類的生活息息相關，直至卑南文化消失後才逐漸不見，其分布並與聚落布局有關。此外，卑南遺址所發現的稻屬矽酸體，經亞種分析判斷為屬於秈稻類型。對於史前稻米的亞種判別，因涉及人群或物質傳播路徑等議題，可能作為開啟後續深化臺灣史前農業研究之契機。

The Peinan Site is the representative site of the Peinan Culture of the late Neolithic Age in eastern Taiwan. Based on the geographical environment and climatic characteristics, the Peinan Site has high temperatures and low rainfall, and is suitable for the growth of dry-farming crops. In terms of archaeological remains, a large number of stone tools for agricultural harvesting have been unearthed, but actual plant remains have been elusive in the site's archaeological research. This research attempts to apply phytolith analysis to identify the relevant clues of plant remains at the Peinan Site, and further analyzes temporal changes and the spatial distribution of the same period to enhance our understanding of the plant utilization and agricultural development of the Peinan Cultural people. Based on the results of the phytolith analysis of ceramic and soil samples, rice was part of the prehistoric peoples' daily lives from the early period of the Peinan Culture. It disappeared after the end of the Peinan Culture, and its distribution is related to the settlement layout. In addition, the Oryza phytoliths in the Peinan Site are judged to be of the indica type through subspecies analysis. Identification of the subspecies of prehistoric rice may be used as an opportunity to deepen research on Taiwan's agricultural prehistory and related issues such as population and material transmission routes.