AbstractThrough the analyses of the number of identified specimens (NISP), minimum number of individuals (MNI) and estimation of meat available from the animal remains unearthed from representative sites of the Chengdu Plain Type and Eastern Chongqing Type of the Shi’erqiao Culture, this paper discusses the subsistence strategy of this culture. The results show that the meat resources of the Chengdu Plain Type were mainly domesticated animals, while those of the Eastern Chongqing Type were mainly hunted animals. This paper draws the conclusion that in the early stage of human civilization, the subsistence strategies of different types of the same archaeological culture might be different, while those of different archaeological cultures might be similar; the factors influencing the subsistence strategies are mainly the natural environment, regional economic traditions, and population pressures.