Identification of kinship and occupant status in Mongolian noble burials of the Yuan Dynasty through a multidisciplinary approach

Abstract

The Yuan Dynasty (AD 1271-1368) was the first dynasty in Chinese history where a minority ethnic group (Mongols) ruled. Few cemeteries containing Mongolian nobles have been found owing to their tradition of keeping burial grounds secret and their lack of historical records. Archaeological excavations at the Shuzhuanglou site in the Hebei province of China led to the discovery of 13 skeletons in six separate tombs. The style of the artefacts and burials indicate the cemetery occupants were Mongol nobles. However, the origin, relationships and status of the chief occupant (M1m) are unclear. To shed light on the identity of the principal occupant and resolve the kin relationships between individuals, a multidisciplinary approach was adopted, combining archaeological information, stable isotope data and molecular genetic data. Analysis of autosomal, mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA show that some of the occupants were related. The available evidence strongly suggests that the principal occupant may have been the Mongol noble Korguz. Our study demonstrates the power of a multidisciplinary approach in elucidating information about the inhabitants of ancient historical sites.

Investigating Dietary Patterns with Stable Isotope Ratios of Collagen and Starch Grain Analysis of Dental Calculus at the Iron Age Cemetery Site of Heigouliang, Xinjiang, China

“…Stable carbon ( δ 13 C) and nitrogen ( δ 15 N) isotope analysis is a well‐established and widely applied method to investigate among other things: subsistence patterns, animal husbandry strategies, health and nutrition, and social status in modern and archaeological humans and animals (e.g. van der Merwe & Vogel, ; Schoeninger & DeNiro, ; Richards et al ., ; Fuller et al ., ; Müldner & Richards, ; Choy et al ., ; Commendador et al ., ; Quintelier et al ., ; Cui et al ., ). Based on the principle, ‘you are what you eat’, δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of body tissues correspond to the general type of diet consumed, and bone collagen reflects mainly the average protein diet over the lifetime of an individual or animal (Stenhouse & Baxter, ; Jørkov et al ., ).…”

Thirty‐Four Years of Stable Isotopic Analyses of Ancient Skeletons in China: an Overview, Progress and Prospects

“…In particular, the unique isotopic data (H, O) of bone collagen of the tomb owner at the Shuzhuanglou site, Hebei Province, dated to Yuan dynasty ( ad 1206–1368), strongly indicates that he had lived elsewhere, providing evidence to help discover his identity (Cui et al . ).…”

Isotopic perspectives (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of diet, social complexity, and animal husbandry during the proto‐shang period (ca. 2000–1600 BC) of China

“…Stable isotope ratio analysis is widely applied to reconstruct diet, animal husbandry strategies, health and nutrition, and social status in both modern and past populations (e.g., van der Merwe and Vogel, ; Schoeninger and DeNiro, ; Sealy et al, ; Richards et al, ; Fuller et al, ; Müldner and Richards, ; Choy et al, ; Bourbou et al, ; Commendador et al, ; Cui et al, ). Since body tissues are derived from the intake of food and water, isotopic ratios obtained from bone collagen reflect the average lifetime diet (including a significant portion from adolescence) of an individual or animal (Stenhouse and Baxter, ; Hedges et al, ).…”