Animal Use Strategies in the Longshan Mountain Region of Northern China during the First Millennium BC: A Zooarchaeological Analysis of Yucun.
Authors: Zong Tianyu, Du Borui, Zhang Chengrui, Sun Feng, Huang Zexian, Cheng Ruoxin, Liu Kexin, Shui Tao, Wang Yongan, Li Yue
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Animal Use Strategies in Ancient Northern China Archaeological analysis of animal bones from Yucun, a Zhou dynasty settlement in the Longshan Mountain region, reveals that domestic livestock—particularly cattle and caprines—formed the foundation of subsistence practices during the first millennium BC, with pigs, dogs, horses and these species collectively representing over 90% of identified remains. Researchers examined faunal assemblages from excavations between 2018–2020, applying standard zooarchaeological methods including NISP (number of identified specimens) and MNI (minimum number of individuals) counts to determine species composition and mortality patterns. Despite the geographic and cultural divide between Zhou and Qin peoples separated by the Longshan mountains, Yucun's faunal profile—particularly the age-at-death distributions for pigs, caprines and cattle—closely paralleled contemporaneous Qin sites to the west, differing markedly from Yellow River valley communities. This pattern suggests that landscape topography and local environmental carrying capacity exerted stronger influences on livestock management strategies than cultural or political identity, indicating that herding communities across northern China during this period faced similar ecological constraints that shaped their animal husbandry decisions. Understanding these subsistence adaptations contextualises the economic foundations supporting Zhou expansion and early Qin development, whilst offering insights into how ancient populations optimised herd composition for marginal upland environments.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Not applicable—this is an archaeological zooarchaeological study with no direct relevance to equine professional practice
- •Historical context on horse use in ancient northern China may interest equine historians, but findings do not inform current management or clinical practice
- •The study contributes to understanding ancient agricultural and pastoral systems but has no actionable implications for modern equine care
Key Findings
- •Domestic animals (pigs, dogs, cattle, caprines, horses) comprised over 90.8% of animal remains at Yucun by NISP with cattle and caprines playing dominant roles in the Zhou settlement
- •Yucun's animal taxonomic composition and mortality profiles showed greater similarity to Qin cultural sites (Maojiaping, Xishan) than to other Yellow River valley farming societies despite different cultural affiliations
- •Environmental conditions rather than cultural factors appear to have been the primary driver of animal subsistence practices in northern China during the first millennium BC