Animal subsistence of the Yangshao period in the Wei river valley : a case-study from the site of Wayaogou in Shaanxi Province, China
This thesis focuses on the subsistence economy of the Yangshao period in the Wei River Valley, how it changes through time and how it relates to environmental change and changing social complexity. The research is based on faunal analysis at the Wayaogou site (6,500-6,000 BP) in Shaanxi Province, China. Pig and sika deer remains are studied in detail since they dominate the faunal assemblage. For the pig, its domesticated status is documented and its husbandry strategies are explored in detail; for sika deer, human hunting practices are investigated. Based on this, the subsistence system, especially the balance between pig husbandry and sika deer hunting practices, is addressed. Meanwhile, the utilization patterns of animal bones are investigated using contextual analysis, to understand human refuse discard behaviour and residential strategies. Standard zooarchaeological methods and approaches are used in this study. For pig, size change, cull patterns, body part representation, and archaeological evidence is used to infer its domesticated status, husbandry regime and utilization. This study is enhanced by Linear Enamel Hypoplasia (LEH) analysis, which is applied to pigs from Wayaogou and other Neolithic sites
Wang, H.
Animal subsistence of the Yangshao period in the Wei river valley : a case-study from the site of Wayaogou in Shaanxi Province, China. This thesis focuses on the subsistence economy of the Yangshao period in the Wei River Valley, how it changes through time and how it relates to environmental change and changing social complexity. The research is based on faunal analysis at the Wayaogou site (6,500-6,000 BP) in Shaanxi Province, China. Pig and sika deer remains are studied in detail since they dominate the faunal assemblage. For the pig, its domesticated status is documented and its husbandry strategies are explored in detail; for sika deer, human hunting practices are investigated. Based on this, the subsistence system, especially the balance between pig husbandry and sika deer hunting practices, is addressed. Meanwhile, the utilization patterns of animal bones are investigated using contextual analysis, to understand human refuse discard behaviour and residential strategies. Standard zooarchaeological methods and approaches are used in this study. For pig, size change, cull patterns, body part representation, and archaeological evidence is used to infer its domesticated status, husbandry regime and utilization. This study is enhanced by Linear Enamel Hypoplasia (LEH) analysis, which is applied to pigs from Wayaogou and other Neolithic sites
animal subsistence period river_valley case_study site province china focus subsistence_economy period river_valley change_time relate environmental_change change social_complexity base faunal_analysis site province china pig deer remain studied detail since dominate faunal_assemblage pig domesticate status document husbandry strategy explore detail deer human hunting practice investigate based subsistence system especially balance pig husbandry deer hunting practice address meanwhile utilization pattern animal_bone investigate use contextual_analysis human refuse discard behaviour residential strategy standard zooarchaeological method approach use study pig size change pattern body_part representation archaeological_evidence use_infer domesticated status husbandry regime utilization study enhance linear enamel_hypoplasia analysis apply pig neolithic_site