Abstract:Yingpan Man, is one of the most exquisitely preserved mummies found in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Here links between Yingpan Man and the Silk Road are explored through a detailed isotopic and bioarchaeological investigation of his life history. Analytical techniques of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotope ratio analysis on hair, teeth, muscle and bones as well as associated animal and plant remains, radiocarbon dating and starch grain analysis of dental calculus are presented to vis… Show more
“…While, the δ 15 N results are exceptionally elevated, they are reasonable according to previous research in Xinjiang 49 – 51 and the baseline isotopic results of plants and animals from Yingpan (Fig. 2 b) 41 . Figure 2 ( a ) Bi-variate scatter with 95% prediction confidence ellipses showing the isotopic results of human serial dentine (this study) and bone collagen from Yingpan 41 ; ( b ) Scatter showing the isotopic results of human dentine, bone, hair, muscle, scalp, and associated animal and plant remains from Yingpan 41 .…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 90%
“…2 b) 41 . Figure 2 ( a ) Bi-variate scatter with 95% prediction confidence ellipses showing the isotopic results of human serial dentine (this study) and bone collagen from Yingpan 41 ; ( b ) Scatter showing the isotopic results of human dentine, bone, hair, muscle, scalp, and associated animal and plant remains from Yingpan 41 . (The plots were generated using RStudio V.1.4.1717).…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Thus, here, the serial dentine isotopic results are grouped and investigated based on the social age periods of these individuals, and this includes mainly the infancy and early childhood period where breastfeeding and weaning generally occurs (from birth to ~ 3 years old), the middle childhood period (from ~ 3 to ~ 8 years old) upon which post-weaning diet varies, as well as the late childhood period or adolescence (from ~ 8 years old onwards) where significant changes associated with social roles might have occurred. Figure 3 δ 13 C (blue) and δ 15 N (red) results of serial dentine (solid line) and bone collagen (dashed line) from individuals of the Yingpan cemetery 41 . Notes: (1) approximate age of breastfeeding cessation is labelled with green hexagon; (2) sex and tooth element is detailed and specified in the sub-titles; (3) yellow shade highlights the late childhood dietary change observed; (4) regressive curves (blue & pink shades) are estimated with the integrated smoothness model of LOESS (Local Polynomial Regression Fitting) using R. (The original plots were generated using RStudio V.1.4.1717.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“… δ 13 C (blue) and δ 15 N (red) results of serial dentine (solid line) and bone collagen (dashed line) from individuals of the Yingpan cemetery 41 . Notes: (1) approximate age of breastfeeding cessation is labelled with green hexagon; (2) sex and tooth element is detailed and specified in the sub-titles; (3) yellow shade highlights the late childhood dietary change observed; (4) regressive curves (blue & pink shades) are estimated with the integrated smoothness model of LOESS (Local Polynomial Regression Fitting) using R. (The original plots were generated using RStudio V.1.4.1717.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…So far, more than one hundred burials have been excavated in the cemetery, and thousands of graves goods were recovered 46 , 48 . These grave goods are remarkably diverse in terms of culture, technology and material, and clearly reflect the interaction between humans from different regions of the Eurasian continent 41 . In this context, the Yingpan cemetery site provides an excellent range of bio-archaeological materials for the investigation of human early life histories along the Silk Road during the Han to Jin Dynasty.…”
Section: Reconstructing Human Early Life Histories With Isotopic Anal...mentioning
Childhood is a unique phase in human life history, in which newborns are breastfed and weaned, and are progressively familiarized to adult diets. By investigating dietary changes from infancy to adolescence, valuable information regarding past cultural behaviors and aspects of human lives can be explored and elucidated. Here, in conjunction with published isotopic results of serial dentine (n = 21) from Yingpan Man, new δ13C and δ15N results are obtained from 172 samples of incremental dentine from 8 teeth of 8 individuals of the Yingpan cemetery, located in Xinjiang, China. The δ13C values range from – 18.2 to – 14.6‰ with a mean ± SD value of – 16.3 ± 0.9‰, and the δ15N results range between 13.4 and 19.9‰ with a mean ± SD value of 16.0 ± 1.4‰. This indicates that the childhood diets were mixtures of C3 and C4 dietary resources and were clearly influenced by breastfeeding and weaning practices. In particular, the findings indicate that there were significant inter-individual differences in terms of the timing and duration of breastfeeding and weaning practices as well as childhood dietary practices at Yingpan. For instance, three individuals were exclusively breastfed after birth, while, two individuals and Yingpan Man were not. In addition, the post-weaning diets of most Yingpan individuals were relatively stable, but one individual and Yingpan Man displayed clear evidence of increased consumption of C4 foods, likely millet, during late and post-weaning periods. Further, 7 individuals had unique dietary changes between 9 to 14 years old. Potential factors related to this are presented from the perspective of changes in social roles that might be caused by their early participation in the social division of labor or puberty and marriage.
“…While, the δ 15 N results are exceptionally elevated, they are reasonable according to previous research in Xinjiang 49 – 51 and the baseline isotopic results of plants and animals from Yingpan (Fig. 2 b) 41 . Figure 2 ( a ) Bi-variate scatter with 95% prediction confidence ellipses showing the isotopic results of human serial dentine (this study) and bone collagen from Yingpan 41 ; ( b ) Scatter showing the isotopic results of human dentine, bone, hair, muscle, scalp, and associated animal and plant remains from Yingpan 41 .…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 90%
“…2 b) 41 . Figure 2 ( a ) Bi-variate scatter with 95% prediction confidence ellipses showing the isotopic results of human serial dentine (this study) and bone collagen from Yingpan 41 ; ( b ) Scatter showing the isotopic results of human dentine, bone, hair, muscle, scalp, and associated animal and plant remains from Yingpan 41 . (The plots were generated using RStudio V.1.4.1717).…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Thus, here, the serial dentine isotopic results are grouped and investigated based on the social age periods of these individuals, and this includes mainly the infancy and early childhood period where breastfeeding and weaning generally occurs (from birth to ~ 3 years old), the middle childhood period (from ~ 3 to ~ 8 years old) upon which post-weaning diet varies, as well as the late childhood period or adolescence (from ~ 8 years old onwards) where significant changes associated with social roles might have occurred. Figure 3 δ 13 C (blue) and δ 15 N (red) results of serial dentine (solid line) and bone collagen (dashed line) from individuals of the Yingpan cemetery 41 . Notes: (1) approximate age of breastfeeding cessation is labelled with green hexagon; (2) sex and tooth element is detailed and specified in the sub-titles; (3) yellow shade highlights the late childhood dietary change observed; (4) regressive curves (blue & pink shades) are estimated with the integrated smoothness model of LOESS (Local Polynomial Regression Fitting) using R. (The original plots were generated using RStudio V.1.4.1717.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“… δ 13 C (blue) and δ 15 N (red) results of serial dentine (solid line) and bone collagen (dashed line) from individuals of the Yingpan cemetery 41 . Notes: (1) approximate age of breastfeeding cessation is labelled with green hexagon; (2) sex and tooth element is detailed and specified in the sub-titles; (3) yellow shade highlights the late childhood dietary change observed; (4) regressive curves (blue & pink shades) are estimated with the integrated smoothness model of LOESS (Local Polynomial Regression Fitting) using R. (The original plots were generated using RStudio V.1.4.1717.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…So far, more than one hundred burials have been excavated in the cemetery, and thousands of graves goods were recovered 46 , 48 . These grave goods are remarkably diverse in terms of culture, technology and material, and clearly reflect the interaction between humans from different regions of the Eurasian continent 41 . In this context, the Yingpan cemetery site provides an excellent range of bio-archaeological materials for the investigation of human early life histories along the Silk Road during the Han to Jin Dynasty.…”
Section: Reconstructing Human Early Life Histories With Isotopic Anal...mentioning
Childhood is a unique phase in human life history, in which newborns are breastfed and weaned, and are progressively familiarized to adult diets. By investigating dietary changes from infancy to adolescence, valuable information regarding past cultural behaviors and aspects of human lives can be explored and elucidated. Here, in conjunction with published isotopic results of serial dentine (n = 21) from Yingpan Man, new δ13C and δ15N results are obtained from 172 samples of incremental dentine from 8 teeth of 8 individuals of the Yingpan cemetery, located in Xinjiang, China. The δ13C values range from – 18.2 to – 14.6‰ with a mean ± SD value of – 16.3 ± 0.9‰, and the δ15N results range between 13.4 and 19.9‰ with a mean ± SD value of 16.0 ± 1.4‰. This indicates that the childhood diets were mixtures of C3 and C4 dietary resources and were clearly influenced by breastfeeding and weaning practices. In particular, the findings indicate that there were significant inter-individual differences in terms of the timing and duration of breastfeeding and weaning practices as well as childhood dietary practices at Yingpan. For instance, three individuals were exclusively breastfed after birth, while, two individuals and Yingpan Man were not. In addition, the post-weaning diets of most Yingpan individuals were relatively stable, but one individual and Yingpan Man displayed clear evidence of increased consumption of C4 foods, likely millet, during late and post-weaning periods. Further, 7 individuals had unique dietary changes between 9 to 14 years old. Potential factors related to this are presented from the perspective of changes in social roles that might be caused by their early participation in the social division of labor or puberty and marriage.
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