Master Archaeologist

Chapter 17 It's Not Wheat!

Looking at the animal bones that Chen Han pulled out from the dirt pile.

A very vivid scene appeared in Kong Jianwen's mind.

4000 years ago, in this rammed earth house that once stood on the ground of Lajia.

A Chinese ancestor who had just finished his work and returned home took a steaming pottery bowl from his wife.

In the bowl, a ball of pale yellow noodles, a few pieces of minced meat with bones, and perhaps a few vegetable leaves floated in the soup.

Tender meat, gluten, fresh soup.

Take a good sip and feel comfortable from head to toe.

However, before he had time to enjoy this rich bowl of lunch, a sudden disaster happened.

The bowl of noodles was also in a panic and was knocked over and knocked to the ground.

This buckle means that 4000 years have passed.

This bowl of noodles, which was too late to enjoy, has also become one of the most precious discoveries in the Lajia ruins that were suddenly destroyed by the disaster.

It also allows modern people like them to get a glimpse of the food culture of the La family 4000 years ago through this bowl of noodles.

Kong Jianwen picked up the bone fragments with trembling hands, and said excitedly, "Quick, pack them together and send them to the capital as quickly as possible!"

"Let people from the Academy of Sciences help verify what kind of animal bone fragments this is!"

Now, Kong Jianwen has four or five points of confidence in his heart. This bowl of upside-down food that Chen Han accidentally discovered is a bowl of noodles from 4000 years ago!
It is basically certain that this thing must be food, and it looks so much like noodles.

The pottery bowl turned upside down on the ground produces a semi-vacuum effect, which can indeed delay or even keep food from spoiling.

The rationale for this preservation has also been explained.

There are always indications that this thing may really be noodles!
Once the evidence is conclusive, it will be a sensation in the world!
Chen Han's accidental discovery caused a sensation in the entire archaeological excavation site of the Lajia ruins two hours later.

From construction site No. [-] to construction site No. [-], all archaeologists knew that a noodle-like remains was discovered by the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Social Sciences!
This is amazing!

The members of the archaeological teams from all over the place, as long as the work at hand is not tense, immediately put down the work at hand and came to F20 to observe.

Unfortunately, it was too late when they received the news.

The entire pile of soil that was held under the pottery bowl was removed, and after simple protection treatment, it was escorted back to Beijing by special personnel.

In order to speed up and send it back as soon as possible to reduce the weathering of physical evidence, Kong Jianwen even asked the local government for help and opened a green channel.

That night, this bowl of "noodles" from 4000 years ago was sent to the Huaxia Academy of Sciences.

The Huaxia Academy of Sciences, which had received the news in advance, solemnly formed a team composed of experts in biology, chemistry, and botany, and immediately took over the research work on the suspected noodle substance.

"No, there are really noodles that can be preserved for 4000 years?"

In a highly confidential laboratory under the Huaxia Academy of Sciences.

When you see the group of pale yellow strips in the tight packaging.

Jiang Jizhou, a researcher from the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was shocked.

He carefully took out the relics that were almost dried out from the package, and carefully divided them into more than a dozen small portions.

Next to him, Zou Shui, an assistant researcher from the Institute of Microbiology, who helped him pack the specimens, asked with a puzzled look:

"Professor Jiang, didn't you say that noodles were brought to China from the Middle East via the Silk Road?"

"Before the Han Dynasty, didn't we have the habit of eating noodles?"

Jiang Jizhou rolled his eyes at him angrily: "That's not necessarily the case."

"It is just a mainstream speculation in the academic circles that the production process of Huaxia noodles was introduced from the Middle East."

"Wheat has been cultivated in my country for 1 years!"

"In 1985 and 1986, carbonized wheat and barley grains about 5000 years ago were found in the Neolithic site of Donghuishan twice."

"This is proved by the unearthed physical objects."

"At least 5000 years ago, our Chinese ancestors had domesticated wild wheat and cultivated it artificially on a large scale."

"During the long period of 5000 years, didn't any of our Chinese ancestors try to make noodles?"

Although Jiang Jizhou still agrees, the craftsmanship of making and eating noodles on a large scale in China came from the Middle East.

After all, according to historical records, all kinds of noodle products have appeared one after another since the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The timing really fits well with the prosperity of the Silk Road.

But if it is said that before the Eastern Han Dynasty, no Chinese had tried to make noodles, then he would not believe it.

The Chinese people have grown wheat for thousands of years, and the production process of noodle products is not difficult.

In history, there must be sporadic individuals who made pasta.

It's just that due to the speed of news dissemination in ancient times and various external factors, it is difficult for a few people to make pasta and spread it all over China at once.

It is even more difficult to shake the status of millet and millet in the staple food of Chinese people.

It may only be popular in one or two villages, and it is difficult to become the mainstream.

It was not until the Eastern Han Dynasty, after hundreds of years of influence from the Silk Road, that the conditions and space for the popularity of pasta appeared.

Even so, it took 500 years for pasta. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that it defeated millet and millet and truly became the mainstream food of northerners.

With steady hands, Jiang Jizhou sliced ​​a piece of the unearthed remains from the Lajia site, put it under a microscope, and began to observe.

In order to determine what this suspected noodle-like substance is made of, the research team of the Huaxia Academy of Sciences must conduct strict and tedious sampling analysis and comparison.

First of all, it is natural to start the comparison with wheat, the main plant for making pasta.

However, something happened that Jiang Jizhou didn't expect.

After scientific identification, it is certain that this thing is not made of wheat!
"Is this not noodles?"

Faced with this reasonable and unexpected result, Jiang Jizhou was very regretful and puzzled.

Since it's not wheat, what is this pale yellow food made of?

Being able to enter the Huaxia Academy of Sciences, Jiang Jizhou is naturally a very talented scientific researcher.

Soon, he stepped out of his strange circle of thinking.

Is it not only wheat that can make noodles?

Plants such as buckwheat, highland barley, soybeans, etc. can also make noodles with complicated techniques!
Thinking of this, Jiang Jizhou immediately expanded the scope of comparison, and even some food crops that cannot be made into noodles, but can be used as the staple food of human beings, also entered the scope of his comparison.

Soon, buckwheat, highland barley, soybeans, rice and other food crops were eliminated one by one.

A result that surprised Jiang Jizhou came out. The composition of this pale yellow curly food was very similar to that of millet and millet!

And it also contains a small amount of fat and animal bone fragments!
In other words, this bowl of "noodles" from 4000 years ago is actually made of millet!
However, after figuring out the ingredients, a bigger question posed in front of Jiang Jizhou.

How can millet noodles without gluten be made into noodles? !

(End of this chapter)