Isotopic Reconstruction of the Late Longshan Period (ca. 4200–3900 BP) Dietary Complexity before the Onset of State‐Level Societies at the Wadian Site in the Ying River Valley, Central Plains, China

Xl, Chen; Fang, Yao-Min; Hu, Y-W.; Hou, Y.; Lü, Peng; Yuan, Jingjie; Song, G-D.; Fuller, Benjamin T.; Richards, Michael P.

doi:10.1002/oa.2482

Cited by 41 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Besides, stable isotopic values of domestic pigs, sheep and cattle from sites of Wadian (4250–3900 BP) (Chen et al, ) and Erlitou (1880–1520 BC) (Si, ) in the Central Plains were compared in this study to further investigate chronological change of domestic animal managements before and during the formation of Chinese state (Table ; Figure ). Pigs from all three sites consumed substantial C 4 crops while no obviously chronological change could be perceived from the isotopic aspect, indicating that pigs raising strategy with millet byproducts had been maintaining steadily.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Isotopic Perspective on Animal Husbandry at the Xinzhai Site During the Initial Stage of the Legendary Xia Dynasty (2070–1600 BC)

Dai

Zhao

et al. 2016

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Located in the Central Plains of China, the early Xia Dynasty site of Xinzhai (2050 BC-1750 BC) with large archaeological features and exquisite artifacts of jade and copper is pivotal for probing the origin and formation of Chinese civilisation. Here, stable isotope ratios analysis, supplemented by zooarchaeological results, was used to investigate the exploitation and management of animals utilised by humans. It was demonstrated that a diverse pattern of animal raising and exploitation was present at the Xinzhai site. The domestic pigs were fed with substantial amounts of millets or their byproducts to guarantee a food source for the dietary demands of the humans. Dogs were also found to have consumed large amounts of C 4 protein sources, likely in the form of human food scraps or leftovers. The domestic herbivores, sheep and cattle, showed different dietary characteristics in that the former mainly grazed in the natural environment, while the latter species were fed with large amounts of C 4 products. This intra-species variation was somewhat related to their physiological characteristics but seems to have been more determined by their different status in social and ritual activities. Thus, this research at Xinzhai provides a glimpse of the organisation of animal resources during the initial formation of Chinese civilisation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Isotopic Perspective on Animal Husbandry at the Xinzhai Site During the Initial Stage of the Legendary Xia Dynasty (2070–1600 BC)

Dai

Zhao

et al. 2016

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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“…For example, on the one hand, rain‐fed agriculture remained the major subsistence strategy in Central China and eastern Inner Mongolia between 6000 and 2000 bp , as demonstrated by carbon isotope results of human remains unearthed from archaeological sites in these areas (e.g., Chen et al . ; Cheung et al . ; Dong et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Han ; Chen et al . ) and cultural evolution in the Gansu–Qinghai region of North‐West China (Li ; GPICRA and SAMPU ; Ma et al . ; Cui et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic Change in the Prehistoric Hexi Corridor (4800–2200 bp), North‐West China

et al. 2019

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It is widely known that the Hexi Corridor in North‐West China lies at a hub of trans‐Eurasian cultural exchange. Its role became increasingly important during the late prehistoric period, particularly as the ancient Silk Road began to be used. While the profound transformation of local cultural characteristics in the late Neolithic and the Bronze Age is well documented, the detailed economic dynamics of cultural evolution have not yet been clearly illustrated. In this paper, we report on significant new zooarchaeological and faunal isotopic data from the Neolithic and Bronze Age sites in the Hexi Corridor. The primary objective is to systematically reconstruct the prehistoric economic context of this area by combining these new data with previous archaeological studies and radiocarbon dates. We argue that the primary economic activities of local inhabitants changed dramatically in the prehistoric Hexi Corridor. This was marked by agricultural production at c.4800–4000 bp, agro‐pastoral production at c.4000–3000 bp and animal husbandry at c.3000–2200 bp, respectively. The major subsistence strategies of these three periods show considerable variation. It is very likely that these transformations of economic patterns in the prehistoric Hexi Corridor were primarily triggered by transcontinental cultural exchange and, to a lesser extent, by climate change.

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“…Even in the later periods such as the upper Neolithic (5000–4000 bp ) and the earliest dynasty in China, the legendary Xia dynasty ( c .2070–1600 bc ) in the Central Plains, positive carbon isotope values of human and animal bones were found in North China (Chen et al . 2016a,b; Dai et al . ), although complex agricultural system, including millets, rice, wheat, beans and hemp, were also developed at that time (Zhao , ).…”

Section: Research Progressmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In later periods, spanning from the Late Neolithic to the Three Dynasties, most of the pigs in North China had isotopic data similar to those of humans and dogs (Chen et al . , , ,b, ; Hou et al ., , b; Zhang and Zhao ; Dai et al . ), which confirms the importance of pigs in human society as meat, as well as their close relationship with humans.…”

Section: Research Progressmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

2018

Archaeometry

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Stable isotope analysis of ancient skeletons has become a routine method and widely used to answer diverse archaeological questions related to the human (animal) diets since the initial study in 1977. However, this study in china is underestimated and much less unknown to international circles considering the infrequent publications in English journals. In this review paper, the research history in China was overviewed shortly and then, the research progresses concerning different research themes, such as the chronological trajectory of human diets, the development and spread of agriculture, the mechanism of animal domestication, human social hierarchy, and so on, were introduced in detail, trying to draw a rough framework of human dietary evolution given the unique Chinese geography and cultures. At last, the potential research directions were also suggested for the future studies. KEYWORDS: STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS, SKELETON, CHINA, ARCHAEOLOGY, DIETARY RECONSTRUCTION INTRODUCTIONSince the pioneering study published in 1977 (Vogel and van der Merwe 1977), the stable isotope analysis of archaeological skeletal tissues (bones or teeth) has developed quickly and the methodology has greatly improved, from the study of a single element (C) to multiple elements (C, N, H, O, S, Sr and more), from bulk sampling to sequential sampling and from bulk tissues to specific compounds (Makarewicz and Sealy 2015). Furthermore, the research themes have extended as well, from answering the simple questions on palaeodiets to revealing more complex and broader archaeological subjects (see the reviews of Lee-Thorp 2008;Schoeninger 2014;Makarewicz and Sealy 2015). Compared to Europe and the Americas, the studies of stable isotope analysis in China have been overlooked, probably due to the infrequent publication in English. This situation means that most international scholars have little idea of Chinese isotopic research, which hinders the potential academic exchange and cooperation between China and other countries. However, China has made incredible developments and achievements in this subject, and has become one of the most important and influential places in the world for archaeometrists to work.First, in this paper, an overview of the history of stable isotope analysis in China will be provided, and then the main research advances will be narrated in detail according to different research themes. Finally, the future areas of research will be discussed. In contrast to the first study undertaken in North America by geochemists (Vogel and van der Merwe 1977), the initial isotopic research in China was conducted by specialists in radiocarbon dating. The first isotopic study was published in 1984 by Professors Lianzhen Cai and Shihua Qiu in Archaeology, in Chinese (Cai and Qiu 1984). However, it was not until the late 1990s that this study was further developed in China.In 1998, the principle of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was reintroduced in the review by Professor Changsui Wang (1998). Later, the progress on how to...

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Isotopic Reconstruction of the Late Longshan Period (ca. 4200–3900 BP) Dietary Complexity before the Onset of State‐Level Societies at the Wadian Site in the Ying River Valley, Central Plains, China

Cited by 41 publications

References 42 publications

An Isotopic Perspective on Animal Husbandry at the Xinzhai Site During the Initial Stage of the Legendary Xia Dynasty (2070–1600 BC)

An Isotopic Perspective on Animal Husbandry at the Xinzhai Site During the Initial Stage of the Legendary Xia Dynasty (2070–1600 BC)

Economic Change in the Prehistoric Hexi Corridor (4800–2200 bp), North‐West China

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

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