Identification and environmental implication of wooden duck carvings excavated from graves in the Badam Cemetery in Turpan, Northwest China

Wooden carvings in the shape of a duck were excavated from graves in the Badam Cemetery,which is thought to be the graveyard favored by the nobles of the ancient Gaochang Kingdom(499–640 AD). Similar items were also excavated from nearby tombs dating from the 7th Century,including the Astana and Munar Cemeteries. The wooden duck carvings are identified as Netta rufina(Anatinae) based on the red beak and white flight feathers. A wooden crane is tentatively assigned to Cygnus color based on the long neck and a sharp beak. The wood used for these carvings is identified as Salix sp. based on the solitary pores and biseriate rays. Wild duck,crane and willow are all extant wetland species. The current occurrence of these species provides evidence that in the 5th to 7th Century the Aiding Lake near Badam Cemetery was a much larger body of water with fresh or slightly saline water. The wild duck and crane are thought to have been fed by people as a past-time,which was a tradition that originated in Eastern China and Central Asia.