Zooarchaeological perspective on the Broad Spectrum Revolution in the Pleistocene-Holocene transitional period, with evidence from Shuidonggou Locality 12, China

Abstract

Based on optimal foraging theory, prey animals from the Shuidonggou Locality 12 (SDG12) are divided into three types according to body size and defense traits: high-ranked large game, low-ranked slow small game, and low-ranked fast small game. Application of the Reciprocal of Simpson’s Index to the three types of animals from SDG12 yields a relatively high level of evenness, which implies a broader meat diet of the SDG12 hominids. Compared to values of taxonomic evenness from Mediterranean sites, it is suggested that this dietary expansion probably resulted from the occurrence of the Broad Spectrum Revolution rather than from climatic changes in the Shuidonggou area. Comparative studies between the Natufian phases in Hayonim Cave and the SDG12 validate this argument.