Stable Isotopic Study on Horse Feeding Strategies in the Zhou Dynasty of Ancient China

Bibliographic Data

ID12371513
AuthorsYanfeng Hou (0000-0002-9246-144X, Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Zhengzhou China), Weiwei Han (0000-0002-1588-6612, Dahecun Archaeological Site Park Zhengzhou China), Jinping Cao (Department of Archaeology and Museology, School of History and Culture Henan University Kaifeng China), Ligang Zhou (0000-0001-6016-3811, Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Zhengzhou China, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume35
Issue5
Pages473-483
Publication date2025-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Osteoarchaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1047-482X • E-ISSN: 1099-1212
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/oa.70037
OpenAlexW4414599910
LanguageEN
References cited28

Horses played a crucial role in military, ritual, and labor activities in ancient China, but our knowledge of their feeding practices is mostly limited to literature records. To investigate how this important livestock was fed in the Zhou Dynasty (1046–220 bce ), this study analyzed stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of fifty bone and five tooth samples from horses discovered in Sanmenxia, Luoyang, and Zhengzhou of Henan Province. Bone isotope data from the Western Zhou period (1046–771 bce ) indicate a predominance of C 4 plants in the diet ( δ 13 C = −7.6‰ ± 0.6‰, δ 15 N = 6.6‰ ± 0.5‰; n = 4), with millet grain and straw likely serving as supplementary fodder alongside grass. In contrast, tooth isotopic values ( δ 13 C = −10.3‰ ± 2.9‰, δ 15 N = 6.2‰ ± 0.8‰; n = 5) suggest variable early‐life diets, implying that horses buried together may have originated from different pastures but were later gathered and fed a common diet at a single location for a relatively long time prior to burial. Feeding strategies shifted significantly during the following Eastern Zhou period (770–220 bce ). A marked decrease in bone carbon isotope values reflects a substantial increase in C 3 plant consumption ( δ 13 C = −13.7‰ ± 2.3‰, δ 15 N = 6.4‰ ± 0.8‰; n = 46). Considering the archaeological context of this time period, wheat, barley, and their straw were likely incorporated into horse fodder beside wild grass. Intersite isotopic variations likely reflect diverse horse origins. Individuals interred in large pits probably derived from multiple sources, while those in smaller pits likely came from single farms. These findings provide valuable insights into the scale of horse husbandry and shift in fodder management practices, as well as the influence of the agricultural shift from millet to wheat in central China during the Zhou Dynasty

China · Context (archaeology · Fodder · Horse · Isotope analysis · Livestock · Stable isotope ratio · Straw · δ13C · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies