Heath and Stress of Ancient People on the Shanbei Loess Slope in China: The Social and Environmental Impact

Summary

This paper investigates the impact of social and environmental changes on the health of people living during the Warring States period (ca. 5th – 13th Century B.C.) on the Shanbei Loess Slope, a marginal area that connects the Guanzhong Plain and the Shanbei Plateau. Two human skeletal assemblages representing two different cultural settings, but with a longstanding history of conflict, were selected: (1) Zhaitouhe cemetery (n=73) (Xirong Culture, the minority) and (2) Shijiahe cemetery (n=33) (Qin Culture, the dominant majority). Bioarchaeological data including traumatic injuries, osteoarthritis, dental pathology, and other nonspecific stress indicators were examined to elucidate the experiences of violence and labour over the life course, and to infer the social and environmental challenges of living in each of these two groups. Preliminary results from the trauma analysis suggests that the Zhaitouhe-the Xirong minority population experienced a higher risk of violent injuries. In addition, it appears that most individuals in this marginal group lived a lifestyle with more repetitive hard-work than their counterparts in the dominant culture. Bioarchaeological analyses suggest that social stratification has wide-ranging consequences over most if not all aspects of life-ways and life history.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Bio-cultural Approach to the Osteoarchaeological Inquiries in China   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16699