The settlement strategies of ancient humans in extreme high-altitude regions have long been a central focus of academic research. Previous studies at five Nuomuhong sites suggested a subsistence strategy based on barley cultivation alongside the herding of yaks and sheep. However, it remains unclear whether this barley-oriented economy represents a regional or a site-specific phenomenon. This study aims to address this question through the excavation of the Naren site, a newly discovered Nuomuhong culture (3400-2450 cal BP) in the Chaka Salt Lake (CSL) basin on the eastern margin of the Qaidam Basin. Excavations unearthed a wealth of cultural remains, including pottery sherds, charcoal fragments, carbonized plant seeds, and animal bones. Results from three dating methods-quartz SAR OSL, feldspar pIRIR290, and AMS 14C-indicate human occupation at the site between approximately 3000 and 3300 cal BP. Archaeobotanical analysis identified a total of 465 carbonized plant seeds, comprising 405 crop grains predominantly of barley, along with some wheat. This crop assemblage aligns with patterns observed at five previously studied Nuomuhong sites. These results demonstrate that barley was the primary cereal cultivated by the Nuomuhong people in the high-altitude, cold, and arid environment of the Qaidam Basin. The Nuomuhong Culture facilitated permanent settlement in this high-altitude region through the adoption of a subsistence strategy focused on barley, supplemented with wheat, broomcorn millet, and foxtail millet.