A grave matter

Linking pastoral economies and identities in the Upper Xiajiadian culture (1200-600 BCE), China

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3919733
AutoresY Jaffe (0000-0002-4114-0910, University of Haifa, autor de correspondencia)
Año2020
Volumen52
Número1
Páginas133-146
Fecha de publicación2020-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaWorld Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0043-8243 • E-ISSN: 1470-1375
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00438243.2019.1741437
OpenAlexW3017969877
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas12
Referencias citadas48

The transition to the Upper Xijiadian period (1200–600BCE) in north-east China is often connected with the decline of agricultural settled life and the adoption of mobile pastoralism. Many see a deterioration of climatic circumstances as the reason for this change, while others have argued that this model is an oversimplification of the intricate socio-economic dynamics of the time. The extent and manner in which pastoralism was incorporated into the economy is still a matter of debate.This paper presents the results of the analysis conducted on grave location preference in the landscape, using data collected by the Chifeng international collaborative survey project. I argue that burial landscapes provide important insights into the discussion on Upper Xiajiadian pastoralism, both economically and symbolically. Based on these results, I suggest that mortuary practices may have reinforced the desire to practice pastoralism as an initially secondary economic strategy

Agriculture · Archaeology · China · Economics · Economy · Geography · Livestock · Pastoralism · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · History · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies · Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology