STUDY ON THE DIET OF ANCIENT PEOPLE BY ANALYZING BONE ELEMENTS AND ISOTOPES

ZHANG Xue-lian(Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing 100710)  

From principle and method, this paper introduces the main three aspects of study on diet of ancient people by analyzing bone element and isotope presently: analyzing for 13C and 15N of collagen, analyzing for trace element Sr and Ba as well as analyzing for isotope Sr. Then, it reviews domestic research of this field and achievements, as well as new advances. The method of human bone isotope analyzing for the diet of ancient people was first introduced into China by professor Cai Lianzhen and professor Qiu Shihua, Institute of Archaeology, CASS, in 1980s. By 13C analyzing of human bone excavated from some famous archaeological sites such as Yangshao site, Taosi site, they provided scientific basis for the archaeological inference that people on the Yangtze River valley took rice as their staple food, while for those on the Yellow River valley the staple food was millet from the Neolithic Age on at least, which opened up the way to study on human bone for diet and abounded archaeological research content. In the beginning of the century, under the conduction of professor Qiu Shihua and Cai Lianzhen, Zhang Xuelian, etc. continued the work. On the basis of analyzing a great quantity of 13C data combing with the 14C dating calibration of the Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project, 15N analysis method by Element Analyzer was established and the information of a relative relationship on meat-eating extent was given. That is from Yinxu (the Shang Dynasty ruin), Shangsunjia site of the Han Dynasty of Qinghai Province, Hemudu site of the Neolithic Age of Zhejiang Province, to Yanbulak site of the Zhou Dynasty of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the extent of meat-eating in diet of people is gradually rising. Evidently, it is interrelated to the environments people located. At the same time, some other archaeological sites such as Xinglongwa site of the Neolithic Age of Neimenggu Autonomous Region, Shangsunjia site of Kayue Culture of Qinghai Province were also analyzed on their bones for diet. In addition, some background materials of mollusk (for example oyster) coming from Yantai Bay and Qingdao Bay of Shangdong Province were analyzed with 13C and 15N method. These results are given in Figure 2. In 1990s, Zheng Xiaoying, Institute of Population, Peking University, analyzed the trace elements in human femur from Ganguya Siba culture site of the late Bronze Age of Gansu Province by ICAP. And some comparisons were made. It is an earlier human diet study with trace element. In 2002, Hu Yaowu, Chinese University of Science and Technology, used the method of 13C and 15N analyzing to study the diet of Jiahu people, Who came from BC 8000? ?000. And trace element analyzing was also made.

【Key Words】： Diet of ancient people 13C 15N Trace element Sr Ba Isotope Sr
【CateGory Index】： Q981

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