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Stable isotopic analysis on ancient human bones in Jiahu site

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Abstract

Palaeodietary analysis is one of important topics in bioarchaeology field and has been paid great attention to by Chinese archaeometrists recently. Ancient human bones in Jiahu Site were analyzed by means of stable isotopes of C, N and O. 13 human bones were excluded from 28 bones for dietary reconstruction due to their unusual collagen contents, C and N contents, and C/N atomic ratios especially. δ 13C (−20.37±0.53‰) in collagen of remaining samples showed that C3 food were consumed mainly, which is consistent of the archaeological findings that rice was the staple in Jiahu. According to the difference of δ 15N and δ 13C values in bone collagen, the samples can be classified into four clusters. The changes of δ 15N values in bone collagen and δ 13C values in hydroxylapatite through whole cultural phases indicated the transition from hunting to gathering and fishing to rice agriculture and animal domestication ultimately. Meanwhile, the δ 18O change in hydroxylapatite showed that palaeoclimate was relatively constant during Jiahu culture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Scientific History and Archaeometry, Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Hu YaoWu & Wang ChangSui

  2. Lab for Archaeological Chemistry, Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Hu YaoWu

  3. Lab of Biogeochemistry, Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbla, 61801, USA

    S. H. Ambrose

Authors
  1. Hu YaoWu
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  2. S. H. Ambrose
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  3. Wang ChangSui
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Correspondence to Hu YaoWu.

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Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Project of CAS (KJCX3.SYW.N12), the National Science Foundation (40343021), the Wenner-Gren Foundation, Youth Funding of USTC, Fund of President of Graduate University of CAS, and the Starting Funding for Returnee of Ministry of Education

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Hu, Y., Ambrose, S.H. & Wang, C. Stable isotopic analysis on ancient human bones in Jiahu site. SCI CHINA SER D 50, 563–570 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-007-2030-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-007-2030-4

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