The Underestimated Utilization of Aquatic Resources in Neolithic Northern China: Evidence from Stable Isotopes

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Resources and Society in Ancient China" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

There is no doubt that millet farming and pig husbandry were the dominant subsistence practices in late Neolithic northern China. However, wild resources, such as foraged fruits and nuts, shells, and hunted wild animals, also contributed substantially to people’s diet at this time. Wild resources, especially aquatic resources, are sometimes overlooked by archaeologists due to limited preservation. A recent excavation at the Jiaojia site, a late Neolithic regional center in the lower Yellow River Valley, yielded many shells and fish remains, in addition to mammals and other terrestrial animal remains. We carried out carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur isotope analysis on human and fauna remains, including fish remains at Jiaojia, to evaluate the possible contributions of different resources. Sulphur isotope values, in particular, suggest that most individuals have consumed noticeable amount of aquatic resources. This finding provides important insight on how people utilized different kinds of resources at Jiaojia. More importantly, it reminds us that aquatic resources are probably important elements of people’s diet, in addition to crops, raised animals, and other terrestrial resources during the Neolithic, even in northern China; more investigations are needed to fully understand the spectrum of subsistence practices.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Resources and Society in Ancient China   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38609.0