Comparison of faunal remains between the Yahuai Cave site and the Bailiandong Cave site, Guangxi

doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0035

Abstract

Abstract:

Guangxi, located in the southwestern part of China, is a crucial region for investigating human origin and evolution from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic period. During the Upper Palaeolithic, the Last Glacial Maximum and subsequent temperature fluctuations likely posed significant challenges to human subsistence. However, the palaeo-environments and human adaptive strategies in response to local conditions in Guangxi remain largely unexplored.

This peper focuses on faunal remains excavated from the Yahuai Cave and Bailiandong Cave sites, both spanning a long period from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Neolithic. Based on the modelled radiocarbon dating chronology of the two sites, we investigated human adaptive subsistence behaviours over the past approximately 50,000 years in this region.

The results show that both the Yahuai Cave and Bailiandong Cave sites were surrounded by low hills, forests, shrubs, and water bodies, which were rich in diverse faunal and floral resources. The appearance of common carps, black carps, and anatids in the Late Upper Palaeolithic period (20,000~12,000 BP) indicates that the water bodies surrounding the sites expanded as the Last Glacial Maximum declined and temperature and precipitation increased.

Overall, humans at these sites exploited a variety of animals, including mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles, and molluscs. Among them, mammals, especially deer, were the most abundant, highlighting the importance of terrestrial faunal resources to local human groups. Although techniques such as chopping, percussing, cutting, and sawing were used, humans preferred to burn these faunal remains during food preparation. At the Bailiandong Cave site, only two antlers were crafted into tools. In contrast, bone tools made from antlers and shells appeared in all cultural sub-periods at the Yahuai Cave site, indicating the Yahuai Cave community’s continuous need for and utilization of bone tools.

To estimate the mammalian dietary contribution in different periods at the Yahuai Cave, aurochs and wild boars seemed to contribute the most meat weight, suggesting that local humans employed a “high risk, high return” hunting strategy for subsistence. In the Late Upper Palaeolithic period, humans exploited fishes, molluscs, and other fauna more extensively. Meanwhile, diverse nearby plant resources, including wild rice, were also significantly utilized, indicating the emergence and development of a broad-spectrum subsistence economy. The chronological changes in the type and degree of exploited faunal resources at the two sites provide a valuable case for better understanding human adaptive subsistence in response to fluctuating palaeo-environments in the evolutionary process.

Key words: Guangxi, Palaeolithic, Neolithic, faunal resources, broad-spectrum subsistence

CLC Number:

K878

LIN Minghao, SONG Yanbo, ZHANG Ying, ZHAO Wenya, XIE Guangmao. Comparison of faunal remains between the Yahuai Cave site and the Bailiandong Cave site, Guangxi[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2025, 44(03): 499-513.

Figures/Tables 8

References 41

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时期Period →	旧石器晚期前段EUP		旧石器晚期中段MUP		旧石器晚期后段LUP		新石器中晚期MLN
痕迹类型Mark types ↓	数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage
烧痕Burn mark	400	98.5%	1660	99.5%	228	96.6%	1722	98.3%
砍痕Chop mark	0	0.0%	1	0.1%	2	0.8%	13	0.7%
砸痕Percussion mark	2	0.5%	5	0.3%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%
切割痕Cut mark	3	0.7%	1	0.1%	3	1.3%	14	0.8%
切锯痕Saw mark	1	0.2%	1	0.1%	3	1.3%	2	0.1%
总计Total	406	99.9%	1668	100.1%	236	100%	1751	99.9%

时期Period →	旧石器晚期前段EUP		旧石器晚期中段MUP		旧石器晚期后段LUP		新石器中晚期MLN
痕迹类型Mark types ↓	数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage
烧痕Burn mark	400	98.5%	1660	99.5%	228	96.6%	1722	98.3%
砍痕Chop mark	0	0.0%	1	0.1%	2	0.8%	13	0.7%
砸痕Percussion mark	2	0.5%	5	0.3%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%
切割痕Cut mark	3	0.7%	1	0.1%	3	1.3%	14	0.8%
切锯痕Saw mark	1	0.2%	1	0.1%	3	1.3%	2	0.1%
总计Total	406	99.9%	1668	100.1%	236	100%	1751	99.9%

时期Period →		旧石器晚期前段EUP		旧石器晚期中段MUP		旧石器晚期后段LUP		新石器中晚期MLN
类型Animal types↓		数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage
软体动物Mollusk	瓣鳃纲Bivalvia	17	1.4%	49	0.8%	160	3.3%	72	1.0%
软体动物Mollusk	腹足纲Gastropoda	204	16.2%	764	11.9%	1012	20.9%	584	7.8%
脊椎动物Vertebrate	哺乳纲Mammalia	948	75.4%	5514	86.1%	2160	44.6%	6575	87.5%
	鸟纲Aves	1	0.1%	1	0.0%	11	0.2%	7	0.1%
	爬行纲Reptilia	3	0.2%	63	1.0%	119	2.5%	99	1.3%
	鱼纲Pisces	84	6.7%	13	0.2%	1381	28.5%	181	2.4%
总计Total		1257	100%	6404	100%	4843	100%	7518	100.1%

时期Period →		旧石器晚期前段EUP		旧石器晚期中段MUP		旧石器晚期后段LUP		新石器中晚期MLN
类型Animal types↓		数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage	数量Quantity	占比Percentage
软体动物Mollusk	瓣鳃纲Bivalvia	17	1.4%	49	0.8%	160	3.3%	72	1.0%
软体动物Mollusk	腹足纲Gastropoda	204	16.2%	764	11.9%	1012	20.9%	584	7.8%
脊椎动物Vertebrate	哺乳纲Mammalia	948	75.4%	5514	86.1%	2160	44.6%	6575	87.5%
	鸟纲Aves	1	0.1%	1	0.0%	11	0.2%	7	0.1%
	爬行纲Reptilia	3	0.2%	63	1.0%	119	2.5%	99	1.3%
	鱼纲Pisces	84	6.7%	13	0.2%	1381	28.5%	181	2.4%
总计Total		1257	100%	6404	100%	4843	100%	7518	100.1%

时期Period →	旧石器晚期前段EUP			旧石器晚期中段MUP			旧石器晚期后段LUP			新石器中晚期MLN
类型Types↓	MNI	质量Meat weight (kg)	占比Percentage	MNI	质量Meat weight (kg)	占比Percentage	MNI	质量Meat weight (kg)	占比Percentage	MNI	质量Meat weight (kg)	占比Percentage
豪猪科Hystricidae	0	-	-	0	-	-	1	6	0.7%	1	6	0.4%
猴科Cercopithecidae	0	-	-	1	2	0.3%	2	4	0.4%	2	4	0.3%
鹿科Cervidae	1	30	37.5%	4	120	19.3%	8	240	26.2%	11	330	23.5%
牛科Bovidae	0	-	-	2	400	64.3%	2	400	43.7%	3	600	42.7%
犬科Canidae	0	-	-	0	-	-	1	10	1.1%	1	10	0.7%
犀科Rhinocerotidae	0	-	-	0	-	-	0	-	-	1	300	21.3%
鼬科Mustelidae	0	-	-	0	-	-	2	6	0.7%	2	6	0.4%
猪科Suidae	1	50	62.5%	2	100	16.1%	5	250	27.3%	3	150	10.7%
总计Total	2	80	100%	9	622	100%	21	916	100.1%	24	1406	100%