Isotopic reconstruction of human diet in the Ji'erzankale site, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4677424
AutoresYi Guo (0000-0001-8622-2314, Department of Archaeology, Cultural Heritage and Museology, School of Art and Archaeology, Zhejiang University Hangzhou China, autor correspondente), Jia Lou (0009-0000-2159-3982, Department of Archaeology, Cultural Heritage and Museology, School of Art and Archaeology, Zhejiang University Hangzhou China), Shiyu Xie (0000-0002-1809-1735, Department of Archaeology, Cultural Heritage and Museology, School of Art and Archaeology, Zhejiang University Hangzhou China), Xinhua Wu (0000-0003-4625-9635, Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Beijing China), Benjamin T Fuller (0000-0002-5989-8121, Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University Højbjerg Denmark)
Ano2020
Volume30
Fascículo1
Páginas65-72
Data de publicação2020-01-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoInternational Journal of Osteoarchaeology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1047-482X • E-ISSN: 1099-1212
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/oa.2831
OpenAlexW2982636510
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas9
Referências citadas46

The Ji'erzankale Necropolis (吉尔赞喀勒墓地) is located on the Pamir Plateau in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Composed of numerous stone circle graves and directly radiocarbon dated to the Iron Age (ca. 2400-2600 years cal BP), this site is unique in that numerous lines of archaeological evidence suggest that those interred here were followers of the Zoroastrian religion. Here, we present carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope ratio measurements of seeds (Nitraria pamirica, n = 7), animals (n = 14), and humans (n = 24) to reconstruct ancient diet and lifeways at the Ji'erzankale Necropolis. The results of the N. pamirica reflect the natural C3 vegetation and arid environment of this region. The δ13C (mean ± SD = -18.6 ± 0.8‰) and δ15N (mean ± SD = +8.1 ± 1.6‰) results of the animals (13 sheep and 1 hare) display a mostly C3 terrestrial diet with variable levels of protein consumption. Adult humans (n = 19) have δ13C (mean ± SD = -17.9 ± 0.2‰) and δ15N (mean ± SD = +13.1 ± 0.3‰) results that tightly cluster above the sheep by approximately +5‰. This is evidence that the diet of this population was relatively homogenous and mainly based on sheep and/or their secondary products and did not have a large input of C4 crops such as foxtail (Setaria italica) or common millet (Panicum miliaceum

Ancient history · Archaeology · China · Geography · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · History · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies