Human diets during the social transition from territorial states to empire: Stable isotope analysis of human and animal remains from 770 BCE to 220 CE on the Central Plains of China

Zhou, Ligang; Garvie‐Lok, Sandra; Fan, Wenquan; Chu, Xiaolong

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.11.019

Cited by 21 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…For instance, not only figure 3(a)), which probably implies an increased consumption of wheat during the Eastern Zhou. An increased consumption of wheat in the Eastern Zhou (Dong et al 2017b, Zhou et al 2017 diet is consistent with the archaeobotanical data, which shows a rapid increase in the frequency and/or ubiquity of wheat in the crop assemblages during this period (e.g. Liu et al 2017, Ma 2017, Deng et al 2019.…”

Section: Spatio-temporal Variation Of Subsistence Patternssupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Yuan andFlad 2005, Hou et al 2013). Most of these works have focused on local human subsistence strategies which include implications for the interpretation of social structure (Cheung et al 2017a, Zhou et al 2017. However, the spatial and temporal variation of human subsistence strategies and their relationships with climate change have not been discussed in detail, due to a lack of Western Zhou samples and limited interdisciplinary research between archaeologists and earth scientists.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dietary shift and social hierarchy from the Proto-Shang to Zhou Dynasty in the Central Plains of China

Zhang

et al. 2020

Environ. Res. Lett.

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The Proto-Shang, the Shang and the Zhou dynasties (∼2000-221 BCE: Before Common Era) are key periods in the origin and evolution of ancient civilizations in China since the periods include the processes and mechanisms of social development in the Central Plains of China during the Bronze Age. However, human-environment interactions in the context of trans-Eurasia cultural exchange during that time are not well-understood. In this study, isotopic analysis and radiocarbon dating of human and animal bones from Xinancheng cemetery in southeast Shanxi Province are reported. It was deduced that, for the period ∼1000-800 BCE, humans buried in Xinancheng cemetery relied primarily on C 4 -based foods and upper-status individuals consumed more animal protein and probably C 3 crops. Also, considering the paleoclimate and other archaeological data of the Central Plains, the human diet and subsistence strategies changed significantly with more C 3 staples such as wheat being consumed during the Eastern Zhou (770-221 BCE), as evidenced by an increased intake of wheat by lower-status individuals and the development of a mixed wheat and millet agricultural system. It is argued that the socio-economic change around the late western Zhou-early eastern Zhou Dynasty occurred as a result of the necessity to adapt to the aggravation caused by climate deterioration and population pressures, factors which profoundly influenced the economic and lifestyle patterns in ancient China. The socio-economic system of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty displayed more resilience to climate change than that of earlier periods.

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Section: Spatio-temporal Variation Of Subsistence Patternssupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary shift and social hierarchy from the Proto-Shang to Zhou Dynasty in the Central Plains of China

Zhang

et al. 2020

Environ. Res. Lett.

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“…Isotopic evidence from the Eastern Zhou sites Songzhuang and Tianli reflects variation in the husbandry strategies employed for different animal species. Previous work at Tianli showed that cattle and sheep were raised differently, likely because of their different roles in the agricultural system, with cattle fed mainly on millet or millet by‐products whereas sheep ate a diet including a substantial C 3 component, probably wild plants (Zhou et al, ). The absence of sheep and the prevalence of cattle at Songzhuang might reflect the different sacrificial roles of these two species, which could also result in their different feeding or managing practices.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From this perspective, we can see that approaches to herding cattle, probably the most important working animal for these farming populations, were determined in part by agricultural practices. Thus, the transition from millet‐based to wheat‐based agriculture in northern China, which commenced in the Eastern Zhou era and intensified in the Han and later eras (Zhou et al, ) might also have affected cattle management on the Central Plains. This hypothesis can be tested by looking at faunal isotopic values from later periods.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal husbandry strategies in Eastern Zhou China: An isotopic study on faunal remains from the Central Plains

Zhou

Hou

Wang

et al. 2018

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Textual records and archaeological evidence reflect prosperous animal farming in the Eastern Zhou of ancient China (770–220 BC), but knowledge of how these animals were fed is limited. Here, we present the first stable isotopic study investigating animal husbandry strategies of this period. Isotopic features of faunal remains of 5 species discovered in Songzhuang cemetery suggest that pigs and dogs were fed on mixed diets with substantial internal variation, and cattle were fed mainly on a C4‐based diet. This is similar to the situation found in another Eastern Zhou cemetery, Tianli. Evidence from the 2 sites demonstrates that domesticated omnivores were raised in quite flexible ways, but cattle raising practices show consistency in different areas of China's Central Plains. Inter‐burial analysis of isotopic data suggests a very small scale of cattle farming during this period. Temporal comparison reveals that early Bronze Age people on the Plains had already established practices of provisioning cattle with C4 plants, and that these practices were inherited by Eastern Zhou people without significant change. However, manuring practices of the historical period likely elevated stable nitrogen isotope values of cattle slightly relative to Bronze Age values. This study sheds light on animal management practices on the plains during early historical times, and also provides faunal isotopic values for reference in studies of contemporary human diets.

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“…; Zhou and Garvie‐Lok ; Zhou et al . ). Yet, during the Han dynasty, humans with more negative carbon isotope values have been found, which is indicative of increased consumption of wheat‐based foods by humans (Hou et al .…”

Section: Research Progressmentioning

confidence: 97%

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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Human diets during the social transition from territorial states to empire: Stable isotope analysis of human and animal remains from 770 BCE to 220 CE on the Central Plains of China

Cited by 21 publications

References 39 publications

Dietary shift and social hierarchy from the Proto-Shang to Zhou Dynasty in the Central Plains of China

Dietary shift and social hierarchy from the Proto-Shang to Zhou Dynasty in the Central Plains of China

Animal husbandry strategies in Eastern Zhou China: An isotopic study on faunal remains from the Central Plains

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

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