New zooarchaeological evidence for changes in Shang Dynasty animal sacrifice

Abstract

During the Shang Dynasty (ca. 1600–1046 BC) in China, the animals used in sacrificial activities changed over time. Pigs, dogs, and cattle were used as sacrificial victims in the late Neolithic period, whereas horses and sheep were added in the Shang. Present evidence suggests that throughout the Shang, animal sacrifice was a varied and ever-changing practice. Gradually, animals whose control could be more easily restricted and humans became increasingly emphasized in sacrificial practices. Animal sacrifice in particular was an important aspect of the process by which elite power was constructed. This process was crucial to the evolution of the Shang state as the preeminent early Bronze Age polity in North China.