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In the present study, we analyzed seven wooden bows and 13 arrows excavated from the cemeteries of Subeixi Culture (13th century BCE–AD second century) in the Turpan Basin, northwest China. A total of six taxa, viz. Morus sp., Salix sp., Picea sp., Lonicera sp., Betula sp., and Tamarix sp. were identified. Some of these taxa have been generally accepted to be suitable for bow‐and‐arrow production. All these taxa were local in origin but distributed in different ecotonal zones, including oases, saline‐alkali lands, and mountain areas. Previous archaeological studies have confirmed that the Subeixi populations lived an agro‐pastoral life. By analyzing the possible provenance of these wood samples, it can be hypothesized that these ancient agro‐pastoralists moved between the Turpan Basin and the Tianshan Mountains on a seasonal basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundant ancient seeds of plants in the genus Melilotus have been concurrently unearthed with grain crops and livestock bones from the Keyakekuduke beacon tower of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618–907) in Xinjiang, northwest China. This is the first time that a high concentration of Melilotus seeds has been found in archaeobotanical records in Xinjiang. Combined with the military nature of the site as well as the theoretical adequacy of using Melilotus plants as fodder, the high proportion of Melilotus remains is hypothesized to be an indication of its ancient use as army horse fodder with possible other applications. As a drought-tolerant plant adapted to high ambient temperatures, the use of Melilotus as a forage legume by ancient frontier soldiers might have been a judicious choice given local arid climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]