Valuing animal use in the agropastoral societies of the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages in North China

Abstract

China's cultural landscape underwent a critical transformation during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages. With the collapse of Neolithic societies across many regions, north China emerged as a political hotspot during this period. The introduction of domesticated herbivores not only enriched local inhabitants' sources of meat, but also profoundly influenced their behavior, social organization, and ideology. This study integrates data on animal remains from north China to examine local inhabitants' attitudes toward different animals, particularly pigs and domesticated herbivores introduced from West Asia. It shows that agropastoralists in north China had clear preferences for animals in different use contexts. Domesticated herbivores, such as cattle, sheep, and goats, were used primarily in subsistence economies and divination practices, whereas pigs played a dominant role in mortuary rituals. By applying the concept of value, this study argues that these preferences were likely shaped by the recognition of different forms of value associated with animals. The importance of domesticated herbivores centered primarily on use and symbolic values, while pigs were more closely tied to social values. The prominence of pigs in social values possibly stemmed from their relative scarcity in daily life and the challenges of raising them, making them a more distinct indicator of wealth. Meanwhile, the dominance of domesticated herbivores in symbolic value indicates a possible metaphorical link between divination practices and the pastoral economy.