Stable isotopes of teeth and bones from the Houshi cemetery in Lyuliang, Shanxi

doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0110

Abstract

Abstract:

The Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 BC—256 BC) was an era of convergence and integration. During this period, frequent population movements, ethnic integration, and changes in subsistence patterns took place. Investigating the subsistence practices and potential population migrations in the Eastern Zhou can offer valuable perspectives on the process of ethnic group integrations and the formation of the Chinese nation at that time.

The Lyuliang area in Shanxi Province is located in the core of the Loess Plateau and serves as a geographical and cultural link between the northern pastoral nomads and the Central Plains. By analyzing the human and animal bones unearthed from the Houshi cemetery in the Lishi district of the Lyuliang region, Shanxi Province, this study aims to reconstruct the diet of the Houshi population and identify potential immigrants during the Eastern Zhou period using stable carbon, nitrogen, and strontium isotope analysis. Additionally, a small number of animal tooth samples from the nearby Xinyi site were analyzed to establish a more precise local range of strontium isotope ratios.

Historical documents and burial analyses indicate that cultural factors from the Jin culture, Qin culture, Rong Di, and others were present in the Lyuliang region. The objective is to explore the extent of ethnic integration during that era. The stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis results of human and animal bones reveal that the diet of the Houshi population mainly consisted of C₄ plants, supplemented by some meat, suggesting an economy mainly based on farming. It was found that among the individuals with special burial customs, some had a diet somewhat different from that of most individuals in the cemetery. However, there were also some with special burial customs whose diet was consistent with the majority. These individuals might only maintain the burial customs of their original culture while having adapted to the local lifestyle in terms of diet. These individuals may include ethnic minorities such as Rong, Di, and the Qin people who migrated here during the late Warring States period due to the eastward expansion of the Qin state.

Based on the strontium isotope ratios of tooth enamel from the Houshi population and associated fauna from both the Houshi and Xinyi sites, it is inferred that at least four immigrants were present in the Houshi cemetery. Due to the diverse geological background in the vicinity, the local range of the Houshi population is large, and some immigrants from other regions might have been overlooked. In the future, additional lines of evidence are required to fully understand the population composition of the Houshi. The results of multi - isotope analysis confirm that there was likely a certain degree of ethnic integration.

Key words: stable isotopes, strontium isotope analysis, Eastern Zhou, migration, ethnic integration

CLC Number:

K878.05/O615.2

WANG Xin, ZHAO Hui, BAI Caixia, LI Yixiao, DONG Yu. Stable isotopes of teeth and bones from the Houshi cemetery in Lyuliang, Shanxi[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2026, 45(01): 88-100.

Figures/Tables 8

Fig.1 The distribution of burials at the Houshi cemetery, Lishi district, Lyuliang City, Shanxi Province

Fig.2 Plane view of burials of Houshi cemetery

Fig.3 Scatter plot of carbon and nitrogen isotope values of the Houshi population and associated faunal remains during the Eastern Zhou

Tab.1 Comparison of carbon and nitrogen isotope values of different groups at Houshi cemetery

组别Group		数量n	δ¹³C($\bar{X} \pm \sigma$)	δ¹⁵N ($\bar{X} \pm \sigma$)
性别Sex	男Male	17	-8.4‰±0.5‰	8.5‰±0.8‰
	女Female	13	-9.0‰±1.0‰	8.7‰±1.1‰
	检验结果Result		p=0.022	p=0.933
头向Orientation	向北To North	16	-8.6‰±0.8‰	8.7‰±0.9‰
	向东To East	10	-8.7‰±0.7‰	8.5‰±0.7‰
	向西To West	3	-9.1‰±0.8‰	7.9‰±0.8‰
	向南To South	3	-8.8‰±0.8‰	9.5‰±0.9‰
	检验结果Result		p=0.819	p=0.304

Fig.4 Scatter plot of carbon and nitrogen isotope values of the Houshi population during the Eastern Zhou

Fig.5 Error bar plot of carbon and nitrogen isotope values of Houshi population and other contemporary populations in nearby regions

Fig.6 Drop line plot of strontium isotope ratio of tooth enamel of Houshi humans and animals

Fig.7 The local range and error bar plot of strontium isotope ratios of Houshi cemetery and surrounding sites Defined by strontium isotope values of domestic animal tooth enamel

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