Reconstructing past subsistence patterns on Zhongba Site using stable carbon and oxygen isotopes of fossil tooth enamel

Abstract

The oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios in human and animal tooth enamel were measured to reconstruct the subsistence patterns on Zhongba Site between 2400 and 4200 aBP. The results indicate that human consumed chiefly C4 resources, such as millet, and the C3 plants, such as rice and wheat, constituted only a small fraction of the human diets, normally no more than 15%. There are significant differences in food sources between human and pig, and the percentages of C3 plants in pig diets were higher than those in human diets. But the δ 13C values of pig partially overlap those of human, demonstrating some similarities in their food sources. The differences in water sources between human and pig are significant. There are significant differences in food and water sources between cattle and deer. This indicates that the two kinds of mammals subsisted in different niches. But their δ 13C values also partially overlap each other, suggesting some similarities in their food sources. There are both significant differences in mean δ 13C and δ 18O values between the omnivores, human and pig and the herbivores, cattle and deer, implying significant differences in food and water sources between the two categories. During the period the dietary habits of human had not changed, but the pig breeding strategies had changed, from breeding in house to breeding in confinement, and the proportion of C3 plants in pig food increased with time. The scope of human migration had been considerably large by the Warring States because of the development of productive forces.