Reconstructing the food structure of ancient coastal inhabitants from Beiqian village: Stable isotopic analysis of fossil human bone

Abstract

The Beiqian site located in Jimo city, Qingdao, a few kilometers from the modern coastline was excavated in 2007, 2009 and 2011. A large number of human bones from the early Dawenkou period were unearthed. Through C and N stable isotopic analysis, the food structure of the "Beiqian" ancestors was reconstructed and the influence of terrestrial and marine resources on their lifestyle was discussed. Based on the δ 13 C and δ 15N stable isotopic values of human bone collagen, the analytical results obtained through a ternary mixed model reveal that the food sources of the Beiqian ancestors included about 44.1% marine species (probably shellfish and fish), 34.1% C4 plants (possibly millet), and 21.8% land animals. These results indicate that they lived mainly from fishing and farming, supplemented by hunting or poultry raising. Compared with other sites in the same period, the stable isotope results show that 5000-6000 years ago, the lifestyles of ancestors in the Yangtze River basin, Yellow River basin, Northern coastal area and inland area were very different. The ancestors from the Yangtze River basin focused on rice farming and fishing, whereas the ancestors in the Yellow River basin farmed millet and raised animals. Those in coastal areas relied mostly on farming and marine fishing. The food structure of prehistoric ancestors can demonstrate those people's adaptation to their living environment. For example, the utilization of wild versus domesticated seasonal food resources. Although in some cases direct speculation can be made using remnants of food, such information is very limited. Furthermore, remnants more likely reflect the personal preference for a particular food rather than the actual food structure. Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotopic analysis of human bone collagen makes it possible to describe the food structure of ancient inhabitants, and provides very useful information including regional lifestyle and reconstruction of social structure. This research approach has recently become of increasing interest in ar-It has been known that proteins from animal bones may reflect the protein composition from the human diet. This means that the stable isotope ratios from human bone could record the protein composition of an individual's diet in the past. Consequently, stable isotopic analysis can recapitulate the food structure of prehistoric ancestors and the dietary differences between individuals. C stable isotopic analysis is often used to differentiate the C3 (temperate plants such as vegetables, fruits and wheat) and C4 (tropical or dry plants such as millet, maize and sugar cane) plant ecosystems [4], or marine and terrestrial ecosystems [5]. In food chains, animals at upper trophic level have  15N values of 3%-5% accumulating from animals at lower level as food. Thus stable  15N isotopic analysis can determine animal

The prehistoric roots of Chinese cuisines: Mapping staple food systems of China, 6000 BC–220 AD

“…Twenty-seven out of thirty populations from the Loess Plateau show significant consumption of C 4 plants (δ 13 C > -12‰, see Table 3 ). High δ 13 C values can also be caused by significant consumption of marine resources, making it difficult to distinguish between C 4 and marine dietary inputs for coastal sites as in Shandong and the Lower Yangtze, where marine resources were abundant in the archaeological record [ 44 ]. The three Loess Plateau sites that do not exhibit dominant C 4 consumption at this time are all located in more southerly provinces that border on the Yangtze-Huai Region (Shandong and Shaanxi), suggesting that there is probably northward expansion of rice cultivation at this time ( Fig 4A ).…”

Ancient genomes reveal tropical bovid species in the Tibetan Plateau contributed to the prevalence of hunting game until the late Neolithic

“…The rich biodiversity in SNSZ and other regions of the NETP during the late sixth millennium facilitated the exploration of hunting, and therefore the emergence of a unique subsistence strategy dominated by millet cultivation and game hunting. This lifestyle was evidently different from that in the middle-lower valleys of the Yellow River, which was based on millet cultivation and animal husbandry (44).…”

Migration and Land Exploitation from Yuan to Qing Dynasties: Insights from 252 Traditional Villages in Hunan, China

“…Researchers can use the combination of historical topographic maps and GIS to quantify and analyze the intensity level of ancient land use, traces of ancient routes, etc., to obtain the scope area of the heritage area and the pattern of settlements [31]. The characteristics of the land where the site is located can also be used to infer the lifestyle of the inhabitants, for example, by demonstrating the difference in lifestyle between the early settlers in the Yangtze and Yellow River basins by analyzing the chemical elements in the environment [32].…”