New insights of subsistence practices in the late Shang period of upper reaches of Hutuo river, Xinding basin, Shanxi Province: lipid residue evidence

Abstract

The agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China has long been acknowledged as a crucial interface between the Central Plains and the Eurasian steppe. Historically, the emergence of distinct cultural traits and dietary preferences has been influenced by the fluctuations of the Central Plains force and grassland factors. The Liugou site is located on the south edge of the agro-pastoral ecotone in Shanxi province, northern China, which belongs to the upper reaches of the Hutuo River. Due to the scant archaeological records, little is known about the diets of its inhabitants or agricultural practices. Recent excavations provided a chance to reveal the foodways and biological resource utilization in this area. In this study, a total of 138 vessel fragments of various types were examined using GC-MS, and a subset of these fragments was analyzed using GC-C-IRMS. The results offer direct evidence for the processing of millet, domestic pig carcass products, ruminant carcass/dairy products by the inhabitants in the Liugou site, indicating the integration of agriculture and pastoralism subsistence. The positive shift in δ¹³C values of individual fatty acids indicates that some ruminant animals and pigs consumed a high proportion of C₄ plants, implying the developed dryland millet agriculture. The screening of beeswax, conifer resin from sherds reveals a broader exploitation of natural resources that complement the agricultural system.