C and N stable isotope analysis of human and animal bones at the Beiqian site

Abstract

The Beiqian site, located in Jimo city, Qingdao, went through three archaeological excavations, and a large number of human and animal bones in the Dawenkou culture and the Zhou Dynasty period were unearthed. By carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis, the diet of ancestors is expected to be recovered, and the domesticated plants and animals will be discussed. The investigated results showed that the food structure of ancestors in both periods included food crops, mainly C4 foods, and meat, mainly marine shellfish and livestock. For domestic pigs, they mainly eat C3 plants, and were affected by the lifestyle of ancestors. This study also showed that the diet of ancestors is the shellfish rather than marine fish despite the Beiqian site is located near the shoreline. We can conclude that the diet of ancestors in Dawenkou culture period included millet crops (C4 plants), shellfish, marine food, and livestock, representing the lifestyle of farming, domestication, and fishing, supplemented by hunting. In the Zhou dynasty period the meat resource was enriched by domesticated animals and marine fisheries, and the living conditions were significantly improved.