Journal of Archaeological Science最新文献

{"title":"Deep learning-based morphological classification of ceramics: A case study of 3D point cloud analysis for Sue ware, Japan","authors":"Wataru Tatsuda ,&nbsp;Ryo Hori ,&nbsp;Kimiyasu Morikawa ,&nbsp;Hayata Inoue","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106472","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106472","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents an innovative deep learning-based method for the morphological classification of 3D point cloud data of ceramics. It focuses on a case study of ancient pottery known as Sue ware from the Sanage kiln in Japan from the 8th to the mid-9th century. Our workflow — with a cutting-edge deep learning model, PointTransformer — outperforms previous 2D outline-based approaches, requiring only a lightweight point cloud dataset and reasonable hardware. Our model successfully classifies 917 vessel samples into labeled classes with high accuracy (average macro F1-score: 0.9320). Principal Component Analysis, hierarchical clustering, and 3D Grad-CAM saliency maps revealed the geometric cues underlying the network’s decisions, transforming it from a “black box” into an interpretable analytical tool. Additionally, we have open-sourced our dataset and code to support other researchers in customizing the model for broader archaeological applications. The study demonstrates that deep learning models can capture subtle morphological variation at scale, offering archaeologists a flexible, transparent, and reproducible method for ceramic classification that can be extended to other regions, periods, and research questions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106472"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145969394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stone tool shaping without direct cultural transmission","authors":"Nolan Ferar ,&nbsp;Elena T. Moos ,&nbsp;Fotios Alexandros Karakostis ,&nbsp;William D. Snyder ,&nbsp;Maria Bolzmann ,&nbsp;Michael Haas ,&nbsp;Emanuela Kainz ,&nbsp;Leonie Rau ,&nbsp;Emil Sailer ,&nbsp;Jannik Schönle ,&nbsp;Mark W. Moore ,&nbsp;Claudio Tennie","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106485","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106485","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While environment and biology play important roles, the complexity and variability of human life today depends in many ways on special cultural processes. Terminologies differ, but the key insight is that these processes are required to enable and to produce copies of behavior or artifacts that otherwise lie fully or partly beyond individual reach. Such “know-how copying” has proven rare in the animal kingdom, and is nearly or fully absent in contemporary apes, suggesting an evolution in hominins. It has been claimed that the earliest widely accepted instances of shaped stone artifacts – handaxes, which appear with the Acheulean (c. 1.9–1.6 Mya) – must have required know-how copying. The argument holds that the knowledge of how to shape (shaping know-how) handaxes is beyond individual reach in principle. If true, handaxes would be a valid marker for the presence of know-how copying. We tested this specific claim in two complementary studies using the “puppet method,” a new methodology that experimentally disentangles knapping know-how and shaping know-how. Knapping-naïve “puppeteers” were tasked with replicating target shapes by directing the flake removals of an expert “puppet” knapper, who was not shown the target shapes. As a validation of the puppet method, we first tested if knapping-naïve puppeteers could shape glass blanks into novel, non-archaeological shapes (Arbitrary Shape Study). Two types of analyses, a sorting task and geometric morphometric analyses, confirmed that they could. We then tested whether knapping-naïve puppeteers could replicate an Acheulean handaxe target shape in stone by directing the puppet knapper (Handaxe Study). Three expert lithic archaeologists independently classified the outcomes and confirmed that naïve participants successfully created handaxe shapes. Across both studies, our findings indicate that not all shaping know-how requires direct access to cultural models, and this also holds true for handaxe shaping <em>per se</em>. This conclusion aligns with recent calls for a reorientation in the search for the origins of know-how copying in the hominin lineage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106485"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Material and technological insights into late-Yinxu jade production: A comprehensive analysis of jade artifacts from the West Zone Cemetery at Yinxu, Anyang, China","authors":"Yiwen Xu ,&nbsp;Rong Wang ,&nbsp;Zenglong Xiong ,&nbsp;Jigen Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106489","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106489","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Jade from Yinxu, the late-Shang capital, marks the apogee of Bronze-Age jade production in the Central Plains. To date, material and technological studies have concentrated on the exquisite jades recovered from the high-ranking elite tombs of early-Yinxu period (Phase I and II), whereas the far more numerous late-Yinxu burials (Phase III and IV) have received little attention. This research aims to explore the materials selection and technological organization underlying the late Yinxu-period jade production. 48 jade artifacts from the West Zone Cemetery — the earliest excavated and one of the most representative clan cemeteries of the late Yinxu period — were analyzed nondestructively by Raman, FT-IR, p-XRF and optical microscopy. Our results indicate that the crafting of animal-shaped ornaments from nephrite was likely undertaken by highly skilled artisans working independently, and that the original morphology of the raw material, often fragments or offcuts, critically shaped technological choices. Marble ritual artifacts, manufactured from locally available stone resource, required less sophisticated craftsmanship but reveal a higher degree of labour specialization. Spatial patterning and finished-product categories of different jade workshops further demonstrate that jade production management was organised according to material, design, and decorative complexity of target products. The Yinxu royal family appears to have monopolized the production of valuable and exquisite jade artifacts by hierarchically controlling the access to nephrite resource and skilled jade artisans. By foregrounding raw-material selection and technological organization, this study offers a valuable perspective on late Yinxu jade production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106489"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dating dikes with luminescence","authors":"Chang Huang ,&nbsp;Roy van Beek ,&nbsp;Elizabeth L. Chamberlain ,&nbsp;Jelle Moree ,&nbsp;Frédéric Cruz ,&nbsp;Pieter Laloo ,&nbsp;Eric Norde ,&nbsp;Jakob Wallinga","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106500","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106500","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dikes are important human-made earthworks of lowland environments which have been used for flood control, land reclamation, and water management for thousands of years. Determining the robust age of dike construction and development based on traditional dating methods (e.g., historical records, archaeological finds, and radiocarbon dating) is challenging due to the paucity of sources and suitable dating materials. Luminescence dating may provide a solution as it uses ubiquitous quartz or feldspar minerals to directly determine the burial age of sediments. In this study, we applied quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and feldspar single-grain post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (pIRIR) dating on two dikes: the Waal dike near Wolferen in the Netherlands and the Scheldt dike near Bornem in Belgium. Results indicate that OSL and pIRIR ages are in good agreement, and the reliability of results is further corroborated by comparison with independent age control (e.g., radiocarbon dating, archaeological finds, and historical records). Chronological results from the Waal dike indicate that dike construction started in the late 11^th or 12^th century CE, and the dike was reinforced in several phases during subsequent centuries. For the investigated Scheldt dike, construction started in the 16^th century CE, and the dike was raised to about 2.7 m soon after. Additionally, equivalent-dose distributions, especially for quartz OSL signals, indicate that sediments were generally well bleached. We suggest that coeval flood deposits were used for dike construction and that bleaching occurred during sediment transport and upon deposition in the floodplain rather than during dike construction. This seems logical in an area that is prone to flooding and receives regular supplies of fresh flood deposits as construction materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106500"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revisiting the context and geochronological ages of the Homo sapiens skeletal remains from Border Cave, South Africa","authors":"Frederick E. Grine ,&nbsp;Dominic Stratford","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106481","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106481","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Border Cave human remains have featured in discussions relating to the evolution and the behavior of Late Pleistocene <em>Homo sapiens.</em> Although there are seven specimens that have been held to emanate from its Middle Stone Age (MSA) deposits, the stratigraphic context (and thus the presumed antiquity) of most of them is open to question. Five were recovered <em>ex situ;</em> either from a large sediment dump produced by guano digging in 1940 (BC 1 cranium and BC 2 mandible) or from the collapsed wall of an old excavation (BC 6 humerus, BC 7 ulna, and BC 8 metatarsals). One specimen (BC 3 infant burial) was excavated in 1942 from a grave that had been dug into a MSA layer, and another (BC 5 mandible) was dislodged from a MSA layer in the course of cleaning the excavation face for sediment sampling. Among these seven specimens, only BC 6 and BC 7 exhibit the fragmentary preservation together with chemical signatures consistent with MSA faunal elements from the site. Moreover, these are the only two specimens from Border Cave that share primitive morphology with homologues from other MSA/Middle Paleolithic sites. It is not possible to determine the stratigraphic placement of BC 1, BC 2 and BC 8 with any degree of certainty, although the state of preservation and morphology of BC 1 suggest that its origin is in the Later Stone Age (LSA) rather than the MSA. The BC 3 grave was dug into MSA levels and several workers have argued that the remarkable state of preservation of the infant skeleton and possibly its chemical signature suggests that derivation from the ELSA cannot be ruled out. BC 5 is arguably the only specimen from Border Cave recovered from <em>in situ</em> MSA deposits. Although it was found immediately adjacent to a feature considered to possibly represent a burial, the sediments from which BC 5 was recovered were reasonably deep in the sequence, rendering derivation from the LSA unlikely.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106481"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146135528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strontium, fire, and bones: 87Sr/86Sr and δ88/86Sr values remain unaffected in bone heated up to 1400 °C","authors":"Carina T. Gerritzen ,&nbsp;Elisavet Stamataki ,&nbsp;Steven Goderis ,&nbsp;Alicia Van Ham-Meert ,&nbsp;Jacob I. Griffith ,&nbsp;Kiano Gorissen ,&nbsp;Christophe Snoeck","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106488","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106488","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Strontium (Sr) isotopes are used increasingly in the analyses of calcined human remains for palaeomobility studies and forensic investigations. Previous studies have shown that calcined bone provides a reliable substrate for Sr concentrations ([Sr]), and radiogenic Sr-isotope analyses (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) once adequately pre-treated. During the burning process, organic matter is completely removed from the bones, and the crystal structure of the inorganic fraction changes. The increased crystallinity allows the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotopic signature of calcined bone to remain stable even when buried in soil for centuries or even millennia (Snoeck et al., 2015). However, no study to date has investigated this for stable strontium isotope values (i.e. <em>δ</em>^88/86Sr). Stable isotope variations of Sr provide insights into possible dietary differences. Variations in <em>δ</em>^88/86Sr could be due to temperature-dependent fractionation following possible loss of Sr during heating. In this study, three sets of experiments were carried out: (1) heating of standard powders (NIST-SRM-1486, and 1400), with a similar chemical composition to bone, at temperatures of up to 1400 °C, (2) heating of modern fresh bovine femur <em>(Bos taurus)</em> fragments to comparable temperature intervals (700–1400 °C), (3) experimental contamination with Sr of calcined bovine bone fragments heated at 700 °C. The first experiment shows no isotopic variation with increasing temperature. The second indicates a strong isotopic variability throughout the bone, likely related to bone growths, but no variation with temperature is observed. The first two experiments confirm that no isotopic fractionation or loss of Sr occurs during burning up to 1400 °C. The third experiment demonstrates the suitability of calcined bone for not only [Sr] and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr but also δ^88/86Sr analysis, once adequate pre-treatment has been carried out. Given the potential of <em>δ</em>^88/86Sr values to study palaeodiets in populations that practised cremations, the obtained results open a new avenue in this field of research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106488"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Volatile compounds reveal the composition of embalming materials used in Egyptian mummification","authors":"Wanyue Zhao,&nbsp;Katherine A. Clark,&nbsp;Richard P. Evershed,&nbsp;Mélanie Roffet-Salque,&nbsp;Ian D. Bull","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106490","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106490","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The distinctive musty odour of Egyptian mummies is evident to anyone who has encountered their tissues and balms. A reasonable assumption is that this odour is the product of the decay of the mummy body tissues combined with volatile compounds released from aged balms and bandages. Given the established complexities and variabilities in the compositions of mummy balms, it is expected that variations in balm compositions will be reflected in the chemical compositions of the odour. Herein, we explore the chemical compositions of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) constituting the odours of a range of balms and tissues of ancient Egyptian mummies then relate the differences in VOC composition to the known composition of embalming materials. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography/quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometer (GC/Q-TOFMS), provides a minimally invasive analytical approach to the characterisation of the volatile fraction of ancient Egyptian mummies. The VOC profiles of the embalming agents identify VOCs representative of each embalming substance, for example: aromatic compounds and short-chain fatty acids from fat/oil; mono-carboxylic fatty acids and cinnamic compounds from beeswax; aromatic compounds and sesquiterpenoids from resins, and naphthenic compounds from bitumen. The differences in composition previously determined between balms when correlated with VOC profiles indicates that VOCs can be used as a fast and sensitive screening tool to indicate the composition of ancient embalming substances.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106490"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distant provenance of archaeological dogs in Chiapas confirms complex trade networks within Mayan societies","authors":"Elizabeth H. Paris ,&nbsp;Clement P. Bataille ,&nbsp;Chris Stantis ,&nbsp;Miranda George ,&nbsp;Roberto López Bravo ,&nbsp;Gabriel Lalo Jacinto","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106482","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106482","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the origin, exchange and diet of archaeological dog specimens of highland Chiapas, located on the western Maya frontier, historically well-known for its overland trade routes and merchant activity. We developed a new strontium isoscape for the Maya area based on random forest regression, using a compilation of bioavailable ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr from North America augmented by 45 new bioavailable ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr samples from plants collected in a transect across central Chiapas. We analyzed the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of archaeological specimens of large herbivores and dogs from the Maya archaeological sites of Moxviquil and Tenam Puente radiocarbon-dated to the Middle/Late Classic periods (400–800 CE). At both sites, we found that large herbivores were consistent with a local origin and likely represent locally hunted wild animals. Most dog specimens, however, had ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios inconsistent with a local origin and δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values suggestive of distant origins and specialized dietary regimes. Our findings support the existence of broad live animal exchanges during the Classic period between Maya cities extending across the Maya region and reaching highland Chiapas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106482"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146135468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial and temporal variation in the diversity, abundance, and energetic returns of underground storage organs on the coastal lowlands of the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa","authors":"Elzanne Singels ,&nbsp;Tineke Kraaij ,&nbsp;John Parkington ,&nbsp;Karen Esler ,&nbsp;Richard M. Cowling","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106471","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106471","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A rich, abundant, and nutritious flora with underground storage organs (USOs) is deemed an important energy source for Stone Age hunter-gatherers in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa. Research on USO richness, abundance, and energetic returns is largely confined to the south coast of the CFR. We extend this research to the west and southeast coasts by surveying 212 sites equally in the growing (spring) and dormant (autumn) seasons and across three biomes in all three regions. We quantify USO apparency (visibility above ground) to foragers based on phenological patterns of 131 edible USO species across CFR coastal lowlands. Apparency is seasonally constrained to cooler months in the strongly winter-rainfall west coast but less seasonal along the bimodal-rainfall south coast, and non-seasonal-rainfall east coast, providing longer periods for foraging. In all the surveyed regions, richness, abundance, and energetic returns of edible USOs peaked in winter/spring and were dominated by high-energy cormous species. On an annual basis, energetic returns were highest on the south coast, owing to USO apparency peaking in autumn, a feature absent at the other sites. In all regions, hotspots of USO energetic returns were rare, but most common on the south coast. Energetic returns were mostly higher in Strandveld than in Fynbos and Renosterveld. We discuss the implications of these findings for forager mobility in the three regions of the Cape coastal lowlands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106471"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multidisciplinary analysis reveals genetic heterogeneity and millet farmer ancestry in late Xianbei individuals","authors":"Danyang Ge ,&nbsp;Chen Duan ,&nbsp;Zhizhong Zhang ,&nbsp;Hailun Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiashuo Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiaqi Jin ,&nbsp;Ruiqi Zou ,&nbsp;Quanchao Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoting Jing ,&nbsp;Jianing He ,&nbsp;Chao Ning","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106479","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106479","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Xianbei were a prominent nomadic group in Chinese history, whose origins, cultural practices and subsistence strategies have long attracted scholarly attention. Despite previous studies, the genetic composition, migration history and integration of the Tuoba Xianbei into northern China remain poorly understood. To address these, we generated 39 ancient genomes, 66 stable carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements and 8 AMS radiocarbon dates from the Shanghuaju (SHJ) archaeological site in Datong, Shanxi, dating to the Pingcheng period of the Northern Wei dynasty. Our analyses reveal a complex genetic structure within the SHJ population, reflecting extensive admixture among local Han agriculturalists, ancient northeast Asian groups, Western Steppe herders and Near Eastern populations. While most individuals show ancestry related to Yellow River Basin populations, a subset retains genetic affinities with early Xianbei populations from the Greater Khingan Mountains, providing evidence for partial continuity with their ancestral lineage and supporting historical accounts of the Tuoba Xianbei's Donghu origin. Several individuals exhibit detectable Near Eastern ancestry, consistent with long-distance gene flow along the Eurasian Steppe during the Northern Wei dynasty. Stable isotope analyses indicate a predominantly C₄-based diet supplemented with moderate animal protein, with males and females showing minor differences in intake, reflecting potential sex-biased dietary patterns. These findings highlight the high genetic diversity of the SHJ population and illustrate how migration, admixture and cultural integration shaped the demographic, dietary and cultural landscape of the Tuoba Xianbei in northern China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"186 ","pages":"Article 106479"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}