Social stratification during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty of China (771-476 bce)

Mortuary and stable isotopic analyses of the Shangshihe cemetery

Bibliographic Data

ID4687682
AuthorsYawei Zhou (0000-0002-6527-0701, History College Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou Henan China), Rongyu Fu (0000-0002-2213-809X, History College Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou Henan China), Lichao Zheng (Sanmenxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology Sanmenxia China), Fei Yan (0000-0001-7477-5990, Sanmenxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology Sanmenxia China), Q Wang (0000-0002-3303-1183, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Dentistry Texas A&M University Dallas Texas USA, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume31
Issue6
Pages1001-1029
Publication date2021-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Osteoarchaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1047-482X • E-ISSN: 1099-1212
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/oa.3015
OpenAlexW3176976841
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited38

Historic records for the Zhou Dynasty of China (1046-256 bce) defined distinct differentiation of social classes, in which ways of life and the afterlife were put into written form to regulate funerary and dietary practices. The presence of social stratification would suggest differences in nutrition during life and in ceremonial values for the afterlife. In this study, we examined grave goods and human skeletons from people of different social classes in the Guo State (虢) during the Spring-Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (771-476 bce). Specimens were excavated from the Shangshihe cemetery in Yima County, Henan Province, China. Differences in total burial values and diet structure between different social ranks, sex, and age groups were assessed using mortuary and isotopic analyses. Our mortuary analysis indicated that there were significant differences in grave size, complexity, and values of grave goods between people of different social classes. The stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis indicated a trend that people buried with two or three coffin layers consumed more animal-derived, protein-rich food than people who were buried with one layer of coffin. The elderly might have had better nutrition than younger people did. However, there was no sex-based difference in nutrition between males and females. Results of these paralleled mortuary and isotopic analyses conform to historic records of social stratification in the Zhou Dynasty of China. Evidence of social stratification and its impact on nutrition and health should be considered while assessing the nutrition and health of ancient human individuals and communities

Afterlife · Ancient history · Archaeology · Bioarchaeology · Biology · China · Coffin · Geography · Grave goods · Isotope analysis · Shang dynasty · Social science · Social status · Social stratification · Sociology · Theology · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Demography · History · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies · Philosophy · Ecology