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who first domesticated rice

by Bernie Becker Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Archaeologists have unearthed bits of rice from when it was first domesticated in China. Around 10,000 years ago, as the Pleistocene gave way to our current geological epoch, a group of hunter-gathers near China's Yangtze River began changing their way of life.May 29, 2017

Where was Rice first cultivated?

Rice cultivation began in China ca. 11,500 years ago, some 3,500 years earlier than previously believed, according to Chinese and Japanese archaeologists who studied 125 samples of rice grains, husks, plant remains, and grain impressions in pottery excavated from more than 100 sites along the Yangtze River. The oldest specimens were from sites ...

Where does most US rice come from?

Where Rice Grows in the USA. Each year, American rice farmers sustainably grow roughly 20 billion pounds of rice in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. Half of the rice crop is consumed in the United States, accounting for 80 percent of the rice consumed domestically.

Where does rice come from and how is it grown?

Rice comes from many different growing regions across the world, including Asia, the Middle East, Australia, North America, etc. It is usually grown in paddies or rice fields, which are flooded with water to keep the roots of the rice moist. More details on growing rice yourself are explained in the article above.

What is the country of origin for rice?

  • Origin Species: Oryza rufipogon
  • First Domestication: Yangtse River basin, China, O. sativa japonica, 9500-6000 years ago (bp)
  • Paddy (Wet Rice Field) Invention: Yangtse River basin, China, 7000 bp
  • Second and Third Domestications: India/Indonesia, Oryza indica, 4000 bp; Africa, Oryza glaberrima, 3200 bp

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Where was rice first domesticated?

ChinaMany scholars now accept that the Yangtze River area in China is the place where rice was originally domesticated as a consequence of these newer findings (11, 19–23).

When and how was rice domesticated?

Background. Rice has been found in archaeological sites dating to 8000 bc, although the date of rice domestication is a matter of continuing debate. Two species of domesticated rice, Oryza sativa (Asian) and Oryza glaberrima (African) are grown globally.

What is the domestication of rice?

Rice domestication involved a complex process of selection by ancient humans, leading to the development of a new species, Oryza sativa, during the last 10,000 years.

Who invented rice grain?

Till now it was believed that rice originated about 30 million years ago in China.

Where did rice come from originally?

Many cultures have evidence of early rice cultivation, including China, India, and the civilizations of Southeast Asia. However, the earliest archaeological evidence comes from central and eastern China and dates to 7000–5000 bce.

What is the history of rice?

As far back as 2500 B.C. rice has been documented in the history books as a source of food and for tradition as well. Beginning in China and the surrounding areas, its cultivation spread throughout Sri Lanka, and India. It was then passed onto Greece and areas of the Mediterranean.

Did rice come from Africa or Asia?

To most of the world, rice connotes Asia and the vast agriculture of Far Eastern river deltas. Indeed, humanity's second major crop is from Asia, and 90 percent of it—the main source of calories for 2.7 billion people—is grown there. But rice is also African.

When did rice farming start?

6500 BC, have been suggested to indicate very early rice cultivation about 4000 years earlier than has often been assumed for this region. However, other scholars contend that these early rice finds may have been collected from wild stands and further evidence is needed to prove cultivation or domestication.

When and where was rice first cultivated?

Rice Was First Grown At Least 9,400 Years Ago. Archaeologists have unearthed bits of rice from when it was first domesticated in China. Around 10,000 years ago, as the Pleistocene gave way to our current geological epoch, a group of hunter-gathers near China's Yangtze River began changing their way of life.

Which grain was domesticated about 6000 years ago?

Cultivated corn was domesticated from teosinte more than 6,000 years ago.

Where was rice domesticated anthropology?

Rice - North/South China - Rice was domesticated in China around 8,000 yBP and in another region around 2,000 yBP.

When did rice production begin?

5,000 BCRice was cultivated in the Indian subcontinent from as early as 5,000 BC. "Several wild cereals, including rice, grew in the Vindhyan Hills, and rice cultivation, at sites such as Chopani-Mando and Mahagara, may have been underway as early as 7,000 BP.

Origins in China

The current scientific consensus, based on archaeological and linguistic evidence, is that rice was first domesticated in the Yangtze River basin in China.

Southeast Asia

The spread of japonica rice cultivation to Southeast Asia started with the migrations of the Austronesian Dapenkeng culture into Taiwan between 3500 and 2000 BC (5,500 BP to 4,000 BP ). The Nanguanli site in Taiwan, dated to ca.

Korean peninsula and Japanese archipelago

Mainstream archaeological evidence derived from palaeoethnobotanical investigations indicate dry-land rice was introduced to Korea and Japan sometime between 3500 and 1200 BC.

Indian subcontinent

Earliest evidence of rice cultivation in India is found in Lahuradewa lake in Uttar Pradesh. It was cultivated around 9200 years ago. Rice was cultivated in the Indian subcontinent from as early as 5,000 BC.

Africa

Although Oryza sativa was domesticated in Asia, the now less popular Oryza glaberrima rice was independently domesticated in Africa 3,000 to 3,500 years ago. Between 1500 and 800 BC, Oryza glaberrima propagated from its original centre, the Niger River delta, and extended to Senegal. However, it never developed far from its original region.

Europe

Rice was known to the Classical world, being imported from Egypt, and perhaps west Asia. It was known to Greece (where it is still cultivated in Macedonia and Thrace) by returning soldiers from Alexander the Great's military expedition to Asia. Large deposits of rice from the first century AD have been found in Roman camps in Germany.

Controversies

The origin of Oryza sativa rice domestication has been a subject of much debate among those who study crop history and anthropology - whether rice originated in India or China. Asian rice, Oryza sativa, is one of oldest crop species. It has tens of thousands of varieties and two major subspecies, japonica and indica.

The Origins of Rice Domestication in China

Rice paddies in the Yunnan river basin of China. ICHAUVEL / Getty Images

Earliest Evidence

The oldest evidence of rice consumption identified to date is four grains of rice recovered from the Yuchanyan Cave, a rock shelter in Dao County, Hunan Province in China. Some scholars associated with the site have argued that these grains seem to represent very early forms of domestication, having characteristics of both japonica and sativa.

Origins of Rice in China

Oryza sativa japonica was derived solely from Oryza rufipogon, a poor-yielding rice native to swampy regions that required intentional manipulation of both water and salt, and some harvest experimentation. Just when and where that occurred remains somewhat controversial.

Out of China

Although scholars have come close to a consensus concerning the origins of rice in China, its subsequent spread outside of the center of domestication in the Yangtze Valley is still a matter of controversy. Scholars have generally agreed that the originally domesticated plant for all varieties of rice is Oryza sativa japonica, domesticated from O.

India and Indonesia

For quite some time, scholars have been divided about the presence of rice in India and Indonesia, where it came from and when it got there. Some scholars have argued that the rice was simply O. s. japonica, introduced straight from China; others have argued that the O.

Arrival in the Indus Valley

The archaeological record suggests that O. japonica arrived in the Indus Valley at least as early as 2400–2200 BCE, and became well-established in the Ganges River region beginning around 2000 BCE. However, by at least 2500 BCE, at the site of Senuwar, some rice cultivation, presumably of dryland O. nivara was underway.

Rice Paddy Invention

All species of wild rice are wetland species: however, the archaeological record implies that the original domestication of rice was to move it into a more or less dryland environment, planted along the edges of wetlands, and then flooded using natural flooding and annual rain patterns.

Characteristics

The rice plant can grow to 1–1.8 m (3–6 ft) tall, occasionally more depending on the variety and soil fertility. It has long, slender leaves 50–100 cm (20–40 in) long and 2–2.5 cm ( 3⁄4 –1 in) broad. The small wind-pollinated flowers are produced in a branched arching to pendulous inflorescence 30–50 cm (12–20 in) long.

Food

The varieties of rice are typically classified as long-, medium-, and short-grained. The grains of long-grain rice (high in amylose) tend to remain intact after cooking; medium-grain rice (high in amylopectin) becomes more sticky. Medium-grain rice is used for sweet dishes, for risotto in Italy, and many rice dishes, such as arròs negre, in Spain.

Other uses

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2019)

Rice-growing environments

Rice growth and production are affected by: the environment, soil properties, biotic conditions, and cultural practices. Environmental factors include rainfall and water, temperature, photoperiod, solar radiation and, in some instances, tropical storms. Soil factors refer to soil type and their position in uplands or lowlands.

History of cultivation

The history of rice cultivation is a long and complicated one. The current scientific consensus, based on archaeological and linguistic evidence, is that Oryza sativa rice was first domesticated in the Yangtze River basin in China 13,500 to 8,200 years ago.

Production and commerce

In 2017, world production of paddy rice was 769.7 million metric tons (848.4 million short tons)s, led by China and India with a combined 49% of this total. Other major producers were Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

Price

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2021)

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