ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI—Today, the adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) is cultivated throughout much of East Asia and appears prominently in a variety of dishes across many cultures. It is treasured not only for its nutritional value but for its ability to enrich soils. However, according to a statement released by Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), its cultural importance dates back much further than previously thought. WashU researchers and colleagues from Shandong University identified charred adzuki bean remains from the Xiaogao archaeological site in Shandong, China, that date to 8,000 to 9,000 years ago. These examples are at least 4,000 years older than previous evidence of the legume’s existence in the Yellow River region, suggesting that the bean's introduction occurred during the beginning of the Neolithic period when humans first began to cultivate plants for food. The new evidence indicates that adzuki beans formed part of an early Neolithic multicropping system alongside millet, rice, and soybeans. The study also evaluated the archaeological evidence of adzuki beans from 41 sites across Japan, Korea, and southern China to get a better understanding of the chronology, regional differences, and evolution of this versatile legume. “There has been considerable recent momentum in recognizing plant domestication as a protracted and widely dispersed process—one without singular geographical centers,” said WashU archaeologist Xinyi Liu. “Our results align with this perspective by illustrating parallel developments in the Yellow River, Japan, and South Korea during the Neolithic.” To read about the dispersal of domesticated cereals across China, go to "You Are How You Cook."
