Between Plain and Plateau: Micro-Transitions in Zooarchaeological Landscapes in the Guanzhong Region of Northwest China

Abstract

Transitions in animal exploitation patterns are caused by topographical and climatic variations on both macro and micro scales. This paper presents temporally and spatially contextualized faunal profiles from 27 sites in the Guanzhong (关中) region of Shaanxi province (陕西省), PRC which date from the Early Neolithic to the Bronze Age (ca. 6000–1000 BCE). Climatic and environmental data was cross-referenced with archaeological, archaeobotanical and (where appropriate) historical sources to examine the reasons for the clear micro-transitions observed. Faunal profiles from sites in the Wei River plain (渭河盆地), loess plateau, and the transitional zone between them were analyzed. Animal utilization was found to vary substantially between different zones during the period under analysis. The transition in praxis between the Wei River valley and the loess plateau was not gradual. The hilly transition zone was found to have its own distinct animal exploitation pattern. These spatio-temporal differences in animal exploitation were caused by changes in both the local microclimates and the topography of the landscape in which the communities were living. Some regions apparently reverted to ‘earlier’ animal exploitation patterns in response to climatic changes. These environmental factors were also augmented by internal social developments and interactions with neighboring communities.

Faunal exploitation during the Proto-Zhou period in the Jing River Valley: Evidence from Sunjia and Xitou

“…In Central Shaanxi pigs were domesticated relatively early, probably in the Mid-Neolithic (Barton et al, 2009), and their importance grew during the Yangshao and Longshang periods (Hu, 2001;Hu et al, 2011;Wang et al, 2013). A slight, though steady, increase in bovids, at the expense of pigs, has been documented from the end of the Longshan period (Hu, 2001;Hu et al, 2008;Hu et al, 2016), and according to our results, became more dramatic in the late second millennium BCE (for a summary see Festa and Monteith (2022)).…”

“…While caprines and cattle are fairly tolerant of arid conditions, pigs require a plentiful and dependable supply of water (Burrin, 2001). Also, under cold and arid conditions, agricultural productivity would have declined, prompting a wider and more diversified use of the landscape, including the expansion into marginal lands, which would have been easier with bovid herding (Festa and Monteith, 2022). An et al (2005) and Huang et al (2004) have shown that climatic deterioration in the Loess Plateau caused many rain-fed Degerbol and Fredskild (1970) and Russel (1993), respectively.…”

“…The Sunjia and Xitou sites are located in Zhanghong Town, in northwestern Xunyi County (Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province), along the north-western boundary of the Guanzhong Plain and the southern limits of the Loess Plateau (Shaanxi wenwuju 2012). This "transitional zone" is characterized by platforms, gullies, and hill ridges ranging from 960-1350 masl, which form a segmented natural landscape (Festa and Monteith, 2022). The local river, the Sanshui, runs diagonally across the territory from northeast to southwest before flowing into the Jing River (Figure 2).…”

“…The relative paucity of wild taxa in our sites is in line with regional zooarchaeological and paleodietary research, which has shown that while hunting and fishing were practiced in the Neolithic, their importance declined during the Longshan period, possibly due to population growth and the increasing demand for meat, both for consumption and ritual purposes (Cheng et al, 2017). The decrease continued during the Late Shang period, when hunting and fishing may have become less related to the need for food (Li et al, 2021;Festa and Monteith, 2022) (Figure 9; Supplementary Table S3). Ancient texts and archaeological evidence indicate that hunting, in particular, was a significant social activity during the Shang and Zhou dynastic periods (Cheng et al, 2017;Fiskesjo€, 2001).…”

Meat procurement strategy from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age in the Guanzhong region of Shaanxi Province, China

“…Zooarchaeological research on this region has been carried out most fully in China (Yuan, 2015), with over 20 sites have been systematically studied, providing rich datasets for us to discuss meat procurement strategies. Recognizing the importance of this region, researchers have recently shifted their focuses towards subsistence economy in Guanzhong (e.g., Zhao and Chen, 2011;Qu et al, 2018;Zong et al, 2021;Festa and Monteith, 2022). However, there is still a number of the sites that have not been covered by their datasets and a lack of discussion on the relationship between the regional subsistence economy and the corresponding societal development.…”