Search

This paper undertook the C and N stable isotopic analysis of human bones unearthed at the Gouwan site in Xichuan, Henan, to reveal the human diets and to explore the lifestyle of humans and the development of rice and millet agriculture. The contribution of rice to human diets was almost equal to that of millet in this site though millet agriculture is the traditional economic model for the middle Yellow River Valley. On the other hand, the comparison of C and N stable isotopes in different cultural periods clearly indicates changes in millet and rice agriculture. Humans mainly depended on agriculture and gathering in the Yangshao Culture I. Millet agriculture, livestock rearing, and fishing were enhanced in the Yangshao Culture II. Millet agriculture and animal husbandry developed steadily in the Yangshao Culture III. After that the mixed rice and millet agriculture developed further. In addition, rice agriculture spread to the north in the climate suitable for cultural exchanges between north and south in the Yangshao Culture phases. In the Qujialing Culture period, under a colder climate, the rice farming was not dominant, though the Qujialing Culture played a key role in the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a detailed study of mortality profiles of the large herbivores from the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) bone assemblage of the Lingjing Xuchang Man Site, Henan Province. Based on the analysis of the crown heights of fossil teeth from this assemblage, we come to a conclusion that aurochs (Bos primigenius) and horse (Equus caballus) are the major prey species in this assemblage and the age structures of these animals can be best described as the "prime-dominated pattern". This study confirmed the well-established notions at many Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites across Eurasia and Africa that MSA/MP foragers were fully effective in hunting aggressive prey species, particularly aurochs and horse. This find indicates that the hunting behaviors and subsistence strategies were not significantly different between MP and UP (the Upper Palaeolithic) humans in East Asia and hence suggests the early emergence of the modern human behaviors in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]