山东定陶何楼遗址动物遗存的碳氮稳定同位素分析OACHSSCD

The early Dawenkou culture(6200-5600 a BP)played a pivotal role in the formation of agricultural civilization in ancient Northern China,and advances in dry farming and livestock raising provided a significant foundation for social expansion and development during this period.However,our knowledge of livestock-raising strategies during the early Dawenkou culture still remains limited.To address this gap,stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis of bone collagen from dogs(Canis familiaris),pigs(Sus scrofa domesticus)and deer(Cervidae)of the early Dawenkou culture recovered from the 2018 excavations at the Helou site in Dingtao,Shandong Province,was conducted to investigate animal diets,with a particular focus on domestic animal management and raising practices. The results imply that the mammals at the site probably had access to a variety of food sources.Cervid animals(n=7)exhibited the most negative δ13C value(-19.7±2.0)‰,indicating a C3 plant-based diet.The δ13C and δ15N results of the two individual dogs(-17.2％c and 9.1‰,-10.9‰ and 7.7‰,respectively)exhibited various proportions of C4 plants in their diets as carnivores,suggesting that their food had undergone varied levels of human involvement in their feeding.As for pigs(n=31),the δ13C values ranged from-20.6‰ to-9.8‰.Although the overall diet was dominated by C3 plants[δ13C=(-18.2±1.6)‰,n=30],almost half of the samples showed a mixed C3/C4 diet pattern,with a comparatively smaller contribution from C4 food than C3 plants.Furthermore,one piglet,estimated to be 4-6 months old,appeared to have fed primarily on C4 food resources. A zooarchaeological study has also previously been carried out at this site.Through analysis of the proportion of NISPs and MNIs among the faunal remains of different species,together with evidence from pig skeletal morphology,age-at-death profiles and measurements of mandibular M3,the study indicated the presence of domestic pig raising and management during this period.Based on information regarding pig age groups,a potential correlation between the carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios and pig age was observed;additional data are required to substantiate this hypothesis. A thorough examination of animal remains and relevant literature was conducted,along with a comparison of the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from human and animal bones at the Dawenkou and Beiqian sites in Shandong Province.This analysis led to the hypothesis that domestic pig raising and management practices of domestic pigs during the Helou site period most likely involved a combination of free-range and captive breeding methods.Such practices may,to some extent,reflect local traits of raising and management of domestic pigs in the hilly areas of the Lower Huang-Huai Basin,where these early Dawenkou cultural sites are located. On the other hand,a millet-based dry farming system had largely been established in the traditional Central Plains during the Miaodigou period(6000-5500 a BP).Data from the Wayaogou,Dongling,and Xipo sites demonstrated that domestic pig raising mainly relied on by-products from local millet cultivation.According to archaeobotanical studies,agricultural development and production capability in the area surrounding the Helou site were delayed and lower than those in the Central Plains during the same period.Therefore,this study suggests that livestock raising at Helou also showed a lower degree of dependence on local crop cultivation.Instead,people likely adopted an extensive husbandry strategy characterized by small-scale livestock raising to obtain some meat resources while maximizing the use of the local natural environment,including plant and animal resources,and minimizing the costs of raising domesticated animals,thereby achieving a balance between human-land relations.