Final answer:
The earliest crops of ancient China included millet, cultivated along the Yellow River, and rice, cultivated along the Yangtze River. These staple crops were fundamental in the development and prosperity of Chinese civilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
Earliest Crops of Ancient China
The earliest crops cultivated by the ancient Chinese include millet along the Yellow River and rice along the Yangtze River. In northern China, due to a colder climate, millet was a primary foodstuff for early communities, and as a result, Neolithic settlements such as Pengtoushan and Bashidang indicate evidence of the cultivation of wild rice as far back as 7500 BCE. In the southeast, near modern Shanghai, rice was cultivated around 8000 BCE, and evidence at archaeological sites show that these people also used boats, constructed standing homes, and created pottery with geometric designs. The cultivation of these staple crops and others like soybeans facilitated the growth of Chinese civilization, ultimately contributing to the formation of dynasties and the development of complex social structures and cultures.