Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Eating escargot: seasonal terrestrial gastropod exploitation by forest foragers in the ethnoarchaeological record of Central Africa","authors":"Karen D. Lupo,&nbsp;Nicolette M. Edwards","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02560-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02560-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the prehistoric record, the presence of small-sized resources including gastropods is often viewed as a marker of increased dietary breadth, declining foraging efficiency and/or flexible subsistence patterns involving diversified foraging activities. However, researchers often find it difficult to distinguish natural gastropod accumulations from those created by anthropogenic processes. Here we report on the context, profitability and methods of the seasonal hand-collecting and processing of terrestrial gastropods based on the observations of contemporary Central African forest foragers. In this context, gastropods were exploited in response to temporary and seasonal reductions in the availability of meat and changes in labor demands that allowed women and children to engage in this activity. Analyses of faunal remains from a wet season encampment presented here shows how different kinds of gastropod processing are reflected in the ethnoarchaeological record. These analyses validate several of the characteristics currently used by archaeologists to identify anthropogenic gastropod assemblages. Overall, the degree of burning, specimen completeness, and spatial distribution of snail shells parallels that of other small-sized fauna. Some characteristics, such as shell completeness and spatial association, can reflect different preparation techniques that, in this case, may be indicators of ethnic identity and site clean-up activities. These data also have implications for how terrestrial gastropod consumption might be reflected in other kinds of archaeological evidence. The example discussed here can serve as a model to help archaeologists distinguish diversified seasonal foraging from larger-scale dietary shifts.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02560-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148878142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tracing glazed ware production in Islamic Sicily: macroscopic, petrographic, and geochemical evidence","authors":"V. Sacco,&nbsp;P. S. Quinn,&nbsp;C. Fenwick","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02550-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02550-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study presents the first large-scale integrated archaeometric investigation of the fabrics of Islamic-period glazed wares produced and consumed in Sicily between the late 9th and 12th centuries. Through the integration of macroscopic analysis, thin-section petrography, and geochemistry, this study refines the characterisation of Sicilian glazed ware fabrics and strengthens their distinction from ceramics produced in Ifriqiya. A total of 188 samples have been analysed from five Sicilian sites: Palermo, Castello della Pietra, Piazza Armerina, Agrigento and Syracuse. The study compares these materials with previously established petrographic fabrics, with the main aim of testing and refining those attributed to specific production centres, and further characterising their compositional variability. Palermo is the most clearly defined centre of production, characterised by the consistent use of the well-known ‘Ficarazzi’ clay source and can be distinguished from other Sicilian manufacturing centres. Workshops at Agrigento, Syracuse, Piazza Armerina, and Mazara del Vallo, where production of glazed ware commenced from the late 10th century, are characterised and interpreted in terms of their likely clay sources. This study also demonstrates that Sicilian products can generally be successfully distinguished from contemporaneous ceramics likely originating from North Africa although some samples attributed to Mazara and Piazza Armerina show compositional affinities that complicate their distinction. While each Sicilian production centre utilised specific local raw materials and their own recipes, certain technological features, including high-temperature firing and salt-white surface treatments on iron-rich fabrics, indicate shared technical knowledge in late 9th – 11th centuries glaze ware production between Sicily and Ifriqiya.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13538216/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148886124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decoding Song–Jin period architectural paintings: microstructural and spectroscopic evidence from Yuanrong Temple, Shanxi, China","authors":"Weihan Zou,&nbsp;Sok Yee Yeo,&nbsp;Xiaodi Zuo,&nbsp;Peng Zhao,&nbsp;Shijie Li","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02562-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02562-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Given the limited scientific research on the Song–Jin architectural paintings, this study investigates the architectural paintings at Yuanrong Temple, one of the few well–preserved timber structures from the Song–Jin period (AD 960–1234), with the aim of characterizing the materials and techniques and clarifying the sequence of repainting and repair preserved in the surviving remains. Twelve micro–samples were collected from architrave and beam paintings for multi–analytical characterization prior to conservation. Microstructures, elemental composition, and molecular markers of pigments, ground layers, and binding media were examined by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy–dispersive spectroscopy, Raman and Fourier–transform infrared spectroscopy, X–ray diffraction‌ and pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Cross sectional microscopy revealed distinct pigment and ground layers in the architrave paintings, whereas the beam paintings lacked a preparatory ground, and overlying paint layers on the architraves confirmed multiple repainting events across different historical periods. Gypsum, quartz and plant fibers were identified in the ground layer of architrave paintings. Pigments identified by SEM–EDS and Raman spectroscopy include iron (III) oxide, hydrated iron oxide, gypsum, amorphous carbon black, and malachite. Py–GC/MS detected amino N–ethylpropanamide, palmitic acid, and related pyrolysates, indicating the use of proteinaceous glue with walnut oil as binding media. These findings reveal clear differences in preparation and material use between the architrave and beam paintings. Comparison with published studies from other periods indicates that the surviving architectural paintings may reflect different painting phases and renewal rather than a single campaign. The beam paintings appear to preserve an earlier technical tradition rooted in Tang period practices and may plausibly date to the early Song dynasty, whereas the architrave paintings show closer affinities with Ming period techniques and may be linked to a later phase of repair or repainting.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decoding Song–Jin period architectural paintings: microstructural and spectroscopic evidence from Yuanrong Temple, Shanxi, China","authors":"Weihan Zou,&nbsp;Sok Yee Yeo,&nbsp;Xiaodi Zuo,&nbsp;Peng Zhao,&nbsp;Shijie Li","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02562-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02562-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Given the limited scientific research on the Song–Jin architectural paintings, this study investigates the architectural paintings at Yuanrong Temple, one of the few well–preserved timber structures from the Song–Jin period (AD 960–1234), with the aim of characterizing the materials and techniques and clarifying the sequence of repainting and repair preserved in the surviving remains. Twelve micro–samples were collected from architrave and beam paintings for multi–analytical characterization prior to conservation. Microstructures, elemental composition, and molecular markers of pigments, ground layers, and binding media were examined by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy–dispersive spectroscopy, Raman and Fourier–transform infrared spectroscopy, X–ray diffraction‌ and pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Cross sectional microscopy revealed distinct pigment and ground layers in the architrave paintings, whereas the beam paintings lacked a preparatory ground, and overlying paint layers on the architraves confirmed multiple repainting events across different historical periods. Gypsum, quartz and plant fibers were identified in the ground layer of architrave paintings. Pigments identified by SEM–EDS and Raman spectroscopy include iron (III) oxide, hydrated iron oxide, gypsum, amorphous carbon black, and malachite. Py–GC/MS detected amino N–ethylpropanamide, palmitic acid, and related pyrolysates, indicating the use of proteinaceous glue with walnut oil as binding media. These findings reveal clear differences in preparation and material use between the architrave and beam paintings. Comparison with published studies from other periods indicates that the surviving architectural paintings may reflect different painting phases and renewal rather than a single campaign. The beam paintings appear to preserve an earlier technical tradition rooted in Tang period practices and may plausibly date to the early Song dynasty, whereas the architrave paintings show closer affinities with Ming period techniques and may be linked to a later phase of repair or repainting.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancing the chaîne opératoire analysis of medieval greyware and redware ceramics: A case study from 12th to 15th centuries CE Utrecht, the Netherlands","authors":"Barbara Borgers,&nbsp;John Gait,&nbsp;Katalin Bajnok,&nbsp;Esther Travé Allepuz,&nbsp;Bernadett Bajnóczi,&nbsp;Adél Len,&nbsp;Arthur Griffioen","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02554-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02554-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study introduces an innovative approach for evaluating the <i>chaîne opératoire</i> of greyware and redware ceramics produced locally in Utrecht between the 12th and 15th centuries CE. This new approach aims to integrate compositional studies with quantitative forming technique analysis to more fully understand the production technology. For this, 59 samples were selected from four workshops which were active in three different production phases. These samples include copious wasters of grey jars and reddish lead-glazed tableware, including tripod forms, jugs, bowls and pans, representative of the range of ceramic wares in circulation in the region at the time. All samples, along with one clay sample, were subjected to compositional analysis using OM, WD-XRF, XRD and SEM-EDX. Of these 59 samples, 17 wasters from the first and second production phases were also measured by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), along with a further 21 other samples, to re-examine the gradual typo-technological change from grey jars to reddish tripod forms, as proposed in the literature. The results suggest that the production technology of local greyware and redware ceramics from Utrecht was characterised by both continuity and change. Potters seemed to favour Ca-poor, Fe-rich clay, and added quartz grains, possibly originating from fluvial deposits. Generally, both redware and greyware ceramics were fired at a low temperature, below 800 °C. Regarding the shaping of jars, analysis shows that percussion-wheeling remained the main forming technique during the first and second production phases, but a shift toward increased wheel throwing also occurred. These findings confirm the previously observed typo-technological change in these shapes. The results of this study also indicate a greater presence of lead-glazed redware from the second production phase onward, but especially in the third phase. These ceramic materials were coated with a transparent glaze with a high to very high lead content.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02554-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148927922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancing the chaîne opératoire analysis of medieval greyware and redware ceramics: A case study from 12th to 15th centuries CE Utrecht, the Netherlands","authors":"Barbara Borgers,&nbsp;John Gait,&nbsp;Katalin Bajnok,&nbsp;Esther Travé Allepuz,&nbsp;Bernadett Bajnóczi,&nbsp;Adél Len,&nbsp;Arthur Griffioen","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02554-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02554-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study introduces an innovative approach for evaluating the <i>chaîne opératoire</i> of greyware and redware ceramics produced locally in Utrecht between the 12th and 15th centuries CE. This new approach aims to integrate compositional studies with quantitative forming technique analysis to more fully understand the production technology. For this, 59 samples were selected from four workshops which were active in three different production phases. These samples include copious wasters of grey jars and reddish lead-glazed tableware, including tripod forms, jugs, bowls and pans, representative of the range of ceramic wares in circulation in the region at the time. All samples, along with one clay sample, were subjected to compositional analysis using OM, WD-XRF, XRD and SEM-EDX. Of these 59 samples, 17 wasters from the first and second production phases were also measured by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), along with a further 21 other samples, to re-examine the gradual typo-technological change from grey jars to reddish tripod forms, as proposed in the literature. The results suggest that the production technology of local greyware and redware ceramics from Utrecht was characterised by both continuity and change. Potters seemed to favour Ca-poor, Fe-rich clay, and added quartz grains, possibly originating from fluvial deposits. Generally, both redware and greyware ceramics were fired at a low temperature, below 800 °C. Regarding the shaping of jars, analysis shows that percussion-wheeling remained the main forming technique during the first and second production phases, but a shift toward increased wheel throwing also occurred. These findings confirm the previously observed typo-technological change in these shapes. The results of this study also indicate a greater presence of lead-glazed redware from the second production phase onward, but especially in the third phase. These ceramic materials were coated with a transparent glaze with a high to very high lead content.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02554-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148927923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Taphonomic signatures on small prey remains from Teixoneres cave (Barcelona, Spain, sub-unit IIIb): disentangling human and carnivore activity","authors":"Goizane Alonso,&nbsp;Anna Rufà,&nbsp;Florent Rivals,&nbsp;Jordi Rosell,&nbsp;Ruth Blasco","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02539-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02539-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The interaction between Neanderthals and their environment has long been a subject of interest. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the hunting and processing by Middle Paleolithic human groups. The exploitation of resources provided by small animals, such as leporids and birds, is considered an important aspect for understanding the complex relationships between these hominins and the surrounding environment. For this reason, numerous studies have focused on identifying anthropogenic patterns related to small game processing. However, human groups are not the only contributors to bone accumulations, as mammalian carnivores and birds of prey are also common predators of small animals. In this work, the avian and leporid assemblage from sub-unit IIIb of Teixoneres Cave (northeastern Iberian Peninsula) was analysed. The results indicate a mixed contribution of non-human agents, probably red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) and eagle owl (<i>Bubo bubo</i>), together with human activity. Carnivore damage was identified through mechanical modifications and digestive modifications and is quantitatively more significant than the anthropogenic evidence, which is mainly represented by cut marks and burnt bones. Although most burnt bones appear to result from waste-cleaning activities or accidental exposure to fire, cooking activities cannot be ruled out. The exploitation of small prey by Neanderthals and their use of fire are undoubtedly important topics that deserve further investigation. Future research will help to clarify these issues and expand our understanding of the implications of small game exploitation for dietary diversification and the hunting strategies employed by Neanderthal groups.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differentiated provisioning in a mobile royal camp: zooarchaeological and stable isotope evidence from Houmingzi, a locality within a Liao–Jin spring nabo site complex, Northeast China","authors":"Wuyu Zhou,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Chen,&nbsp;Shu Wang,&nbsp;Zongyu Li,&nbsp;Yunxin Fu,&nbsp;Enxue Feng,&nbsp;Chunxue Wang,&nbsp;Song Wu","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02559-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02559-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mobile royal camps concentrated political activity and consumption while remaining spatially separated from much of the production that sustained them, making their provisioning systems difficult to reconstruct archaeologically. The Houmingzi locality of the Liao–Jin spring nabo site complex in western Jilin, Northeast China, provides a rare context for examining how animal resources entered and were used within such a mobile political center. This study integrates zooarchaeological analysis, bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope data, and AMS radiocarbon dating. The assemblage is dominated by domestic mammals, particularly cattle, sheep, and horses, while mortality profiles and carcass-processing traces indicate taxon-specific patterns of use and consumption. The analyzed wild fauna provide only a limited but broadly C₃-oriented local isotopic reference. Sheep show a comparatively narrow δ¹³C range, whereas cattle, horses, and pigs display marked intraspecific variation, indicating differentiated pre-death feeding histories. Together with the seasonal and environmentally constrained lake-margin setting, these results suggest that Houmingzi functioned as a point of concentration and consumption receiving animals from more than one ecological or management background. Although specific origins and supply channels remain unresolved, the evidence reveals the material expression of differentiated animal provisioning at an individual mobile royal encampment and provides archaeological support for the multi-channel supply framework documented in historical sources.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Taphonomic signatures on small prey remains from Teixoneres cave (Barcelona, Spain, sub-unit IIIb): disentangling human and carnivore activity","authors":"Goizane Alonso,&nbsp;Anna Rufà,&nbsp;Florent Rivals,&nbsp;Jordi Rosell,&nbsp;Ruth Blasco","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02539-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02539-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The interaction between Neanderthals and their environment has long been a subject of interest. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the hunting and processing by Middle Paleolithic human groups. The exploitation of resources provided by small animals, such as leporids and birds, is considered an important aspect for understanding the complex relationships between these hominins and the surrounding environment. For this reason, numerous studies have focused on identifying anthropogenic patterns related to small game processing. However, human groups are not the only contributors to bone accumulations, as mammalian carnivores and birds of prey are also common predators of small animals. In this work, the avian and leporid assemblage from sub-unit IIIb of Teixoneres Cave (northeastern Iberian Peninsula) was analysed. The results indicate a mixed contribution of non-human agents, probably red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) and eagle owl (<i>Bubo bubo</i>), together with human activity. Carnivore damage was identified through mechanical modifications and digestive modifications and is quantitatively more significant than the anthropogenic evidence, which is mainly represented by cut marks and burnt bones. Although most burnt bones appear to result from waste-cleaning activities or accidental exposure to fire, cooking activities cannot be ruled out. The exploitation of small prey by Neanderthals and their use of fire are undoubtedly important topics that deserve further investigation. Future research will help to clarify these issues and expand our understanding of the implications of small game exploitation for dietary diversification and the hunting strategies employed by Neanderthal groups.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differentiated provisioning in a mobile royal camp: zooarchaeological and stable isotope evidence from Houmingzi, a locality within a Liao–Jin spring nabo site complex, Northeast China","authors":"Wuyu Zhou,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Chen,&nbsp;Shu Wang,&nbsp;Zongyu Li,&nbsp;Yunxin Fu,&nbsp;Enxue Feng,&nbsp;Chunxue Wang,&nbsp;Song Wu","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02559-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02559-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mobile royal camps concentrated political activity and consumption while remaining spatially separated from much of the production that sustained them, making their provisioning systems difficult to reconstruct archaeologically. The Houmingzi locality of the Liao–Jin spring nabo site complex in western Jilin, Northeast China, provides a rare context for examining how animal resources entered and were used within such a mobile political center. This study integrates zooarchaeological analysis, bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope data, and AMS radiocarbon dating. The assemblage is dominated by domestic mammals, particularly cattle, sheep, and horses, while mortality profiles and carcass-processing traces indicate taxon-specific patterns of use and consumption. The analyzed wild fauna provide only a limited but broadly C₃-oriented local isotopic reference. Sheep show a comparatively narrow δ¹³C range, whereas cattle, horses, and pigs display marked intraspecific variation, indicating differentiated pre-death feeding histories. Together with the seasonal and environmentally constrained lake-margin setting, these results suggest that Houmingzi functioned as a point of concentration and consumption receiving animals from more than one ecological or management background. Although specific origins and supply channels remain unresolved, the evidence reveals the material expression of differentiated animal provisioning at an individual mobile royal encampment and provides archaeological support for the multi-channel supply framework documented in historical sources.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}