Reanalysis of the Zongri culture chronology based on new excavations and radiocarbon dates from Dongguotan

The Zongri Culture represents a key archaeological tradition for understanding the Neolithization of early hunter-gatherer groups on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, yet its chronology remains debated. New excavations at the Dongguotan site revealed both mid-Majiayao and early-Zongri Culture remains, dated to c. 5000–4800 BP and c. 4820–4500 BP, respectively, based on AMS radiocarbon dating and typological analysis of pottery assemblages. By integrating the Dongguotan results with recently published radiocarbon dates from other sites, we refine the time span of the Zongri Culture to c. 4850–3900 BP. The early, middle, and late phases of the culture are estimated at c. 4850–4550 BP, c. 4550–4250 BP, and c. 4250–3900 BP, respectively. This refined framework provides a more robust basis for understanding the formation of the Zongri Culture and contributes to broader research on prehistoric cultural and social dynamics on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.