Reconstructing past subsistence patterns on Zhongba Site using stable carbon and oxygen isotopes of fossil tooth enamel

Tian, Xiaohong; Zhu, Cheng; Xu, Xiao Le; Ma, Chao; Sun, Zhibin; Yin, Qinyan; Zhu, Qing; Shi, Wei

doi:10.1007/s11434-008-5001-z

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…In addition, detailed research was conducted on the animal diversity and envi-ronmental changes revealed by unearthed animal skeletons [74], the application of enamel and bone fossil carbon-nitrogen-oxygen isotopes to reconstruct the past sur-vival patterns of mammals [82,83], the human-landscape interactions reflected by the evolution of the production tools in the Neolithic Age [84], the relationship between the anomaly of magnetic susceptibility in the site profile and human activities [85], the history of the salt industry reflected by the Na-Ca element in site strata, and the rela-tionship between the three different evolutionary stages of human activities and the paleoclimate since approximately 4.25 ka BP recorded by Hg, Rb, Sr, P, Ca, Mg, and TOC contents [73,86].…”

Section: The Ba Cultural Area Of the Three Gorges Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene Environmental Archaeology of the Yangtze River Valley in China: A Review

Zhu

et al. 2021

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The Yangtze River Valley is an important economic region and one of the cradles of human civilization. It is also the site of frequent floods, droughts, and other natural disasters. Conducting Holocene environmental archaeology research in this region is of great importance when studying the evolution of the relationship between humans and the environment and the interactive effects humans had on the environment from 10.0 to 3.0 ka BP, for which no written records exist. This review provides a comprehensive summary of materials that have been published over the past several decades concerning Holocene environmental archaeology in the Yangtze River Valley, to further understand large-scale regional Holocene environmental and cultural interaction within this area. The results show that: 1) in recent years, Holocene envi-ronmental archaeology research in the Yangtze River Valley has primarily taken paleoflood and sea-level change stratigraphical events to be the foundational threads for study. This began with research on the spatiotemporal distribution of archaeological sites, typical archaeological site stratigraphy, and research on background features concerning environmental evolution recorded by the regional natural sedimentary strata. 2) Significant progress has been made at the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, indicating that Holocene environmental ar-chaeology research along the Yangtze River Valley is deepening and broadening. 3) Dramatic changes to Neolithic cultures that occurred approximately 4.0 ka BP were influenced by climate change and associated consequences, although the impacts differed on the various Neolithic cultures in the Yangtze River Valley. Local topography, regional climate, and varying survival strategies may have contributed to these differences. 4) Newly-published research pays particular attention to the sedimentary records of the past with resolutions as high as one year to several months, the degree to which humans altered the quality of their natural environment, and human adjustments to settlement and subsistence practices during periods of Holocene climate change. The application of technologies such as remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and molecular biological analysis are also gradually being extended into the research field of Holocene environmental archaeology in the Yangtze River Valley.

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Section: The Ba Cultural Area Of the Three Gorges Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene Environmental Archaeology of the Yangtze River Valley in China: A Review

Zhu

et al. 2021

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“…To contextualise the human diet, at Oakaie and Nyaung'gan, more broadly, published data from the Southeast Asian sites of Khok Phanom Di (Bentley et al, 2007), Ban Chiang (Bentley et al, 2005), Noen U-Loke (Cox et al, 2011), Ban Lum Khao (Bentley et al, 2009), Ban Non Wat (King et al, 2015) and Promtin Thai (Liu, 2018), and the Chinese sites of Zhongba (Tian et al, 2008), Liangchengzhen (Lanehart et al, 2011) and Mayutian (Zhang et al, 2014) were used for comparative purposes. Data from subadults, adolescents and adults with permanent dentition were included for consideration.…”

Section: Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Importantly, δ 13 C measurements can easily distinguish the use of C 4 crops such as millet from the use of C 3 crops such as rice, and has been used to explore the arrival of agriculture in different parts of Southeast Asia (Krigbaum, 2003, Krigbaum, 2005. This approach has been a research focus among researchers in Mainland Southeast Asia (Bentley et al, 2009, Bentley et al, 2005, Bentley et al, 2007, Cox et al, 2011, King et al, 2014, King et al, 2013, King et al, 2015, Liu, 2018 and China (Lanehart et al, 2011, Tian et al, 2008, Zhang et al, 2014, leading to the development of a solid conceptual and data-rich framework to examine subsistence economies in the region, and a wealth of comparative studies with which to contextualise data from Myanmar. Nevertheless, analyses from the latter region have remained absent thus far, hindering insights into broad dietary changes across major economic and social thresholds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living in the dry zone: Stable isotope insights into palaeodiet in ancient Myanmar

Willis

Roberts

Kyaw³

et al. 2023

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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“…This is because deer fed on foliage and shrubs in closed habitats and cattle fed on grasses in open habitats, and foliage and shrubs have more negative δ 15 N values than grasses [30]. Pigs often ate leftovers of ancient peoples, which therefore would have included offal of deer and cattle [31,32]. Thus, pigs lived at a higher trophic level and had more positive δ 15 N values than cattle and deer, as seen in their nitrogen isotope enrichment.…”

Section: Nitrogen Isotope Explanationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses of mammal bone fossils from the Zhongba site in the Three Gorges Reservoir region of the Yangtze River, China

Tian

Zhu

Sun³

et al. 2011

Chin. Sci. Bull.

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Based on AMS 14 C dating data, carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses were conducted on mammal bone collagen of deer, cattle and pigs from the Zhongba site in the Three Gorges Reservoir region of the Yangtze River. These analyses were conducted to reconstruct palaeodiets of mammals, palaeoecology, palaeoenviroment and previous human activities in the study area. Results show that the collagen loss of bone did not change the in vivo isotopic composition of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, and most of the bone fossils were well preserved. The bone collagen of samples from deer had a mean δ 13 C of -23.1‰ and a mean δ 15 N of 4.7‰, suggesting that deer subsisted in a closed habitat and fed on branches and leaves. The bone collagen of cattle had a mean δ 13 C of -19.6‰ and a mean δ 15 N of 5.2‰, which indicates that cattle subsisted in an open habitat and fed on grasses and stems. The δ 13 C values show that both deer and cattle fed on C 3 plants and lived in the same ecosystem, but the t-test results show that deer δ 13 C and δ 15 N values were both more negative than those of cattle, indicating that they inhabited different niches. The δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of cattle partially overlapped those of deer, suggesting some competition in diets between them. The t-tests show that the δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of pigs were more positive than those of cattle and deer, which signifies that pigs occupied a higher trophic level compared to cattle and deer. The wide range of pig δ 13 C values demonstrates that pig trading had been taking place from early Neolithic Age to late Bronze Age. There were no significant differences in deer δ 13 C and δ 15 N values among different archaeological periods, making it clear that climatic, ecological and environmental conditions were kept relatively stable from 2200 to 4200 a BP. This stability may have been responsible for the extensive and complete cultural layers at the Zhongba site. The minimum number of samples required to estimate the mean δ 13 C values of deer, pigs and cattle are 8, 73 and 16, respectively, and for mean δ 15 N values of deer, pigs and cattle, the minimum numbers are 4, 5 and 6, respectively. Zhongba site, bone collagen, δ 13 C, δ 15 N, palaeodiet, palaeoclimate, palaeoecology Citation: Tian X S, Zhu C, Sun Z B, et al. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses of mammal bone fossils from the Zhongba site in the Three Gorges Reservoir region of the Yangtze River, China.

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Reconstructing past subsistence patterns on Zhongba Site using stable carbon and oxygen isotopes of fossil tooth enamel

Cited by 7 publications

References 24 publications

Holocene Environmental Archaeology of the Yangtze River Valley in China: A Review

Holocene Environmental Archaeology of the Yangtze River Valley in China: A Review

Living in the dry zone: Stable isotope insights into palaeodiet in ancient Myanmar

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses of mammal bone fossils from the Zhongba site in the Three Gorges Reservoir region of the Yangtze River, China

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