Stable Isotopic Evidence for Human and Animal Diets From the Late Neolithic to the Ming Dynasty in the Middle-Lower Reaches of the Hulu River Valley, NW China

The study of human and animal paleodiets, representing the unique subsistence strategies and human-environment interactions adopted over evolutionary time, has attracted intensive research attention. Historically, the western Loess Plateau (WLP) served as a key area for the evolution of human-land relationship. The human subsistence patterns in the WLP changed significantly from prehistoric to historical periods based on archaeobotanical data. However, the trajectory and influencing factors of ancient human and animal diets in the WLP remain unclear, mainly due to the lack of isotopic data in the upper reaches of the Wei River. In this paper, we reported 172 human and animal isotope samples (C and N) and 23 radiocarbon dates from three sites in the middle-lower reaches of the Hulu River Valley (HRV). At least three periods of dietary patterns for humans were observed in the WLP from the late Neolithic to Ming Dynasty. During 5300–4000 Before Present (BP), humans and domesticated animals such as pigs and dogs consumed a greater proportion of millets and millet byproducts. Between 3000 and 2200 BP, the diets of pigs and dogs remained largely comprised of C4 foods, while humans consumed both C3 and C4 foods, which contradicted the evidence of an overwhelming proportion of wheat and barley (C3 crops) from the contemporaneous cultural sediment. The contradictions between plant remains and human diets are probably related to geopolitical factors. Between 1000–500 BP, human diets were more diverse and heterogeneous in this region. Combined with environmental and archaeological evidence, the changes in diets and subsistence strategies over the three periods can be attributed to the comprehensive influence of regional cultural development, geopolitics and technological innovation. This paper not only reveals the trajectory and influencing factors of ancient human and animal diets in the middle-lower HRV, but also explores how subsistence strategies, particularly in terms of dietary structure, will change in the context of cultural exchange and diffusion, and emphasizes the important influence of geopolitical interactions in the WLP.

How Can We Understand the Past from Now On? Three-Dimensional Modelling and Landscape Reconstruction of the Shuanghuaishu Site in the Central Plains of China

The Shuanghuaishu (SHS) site in China is one of the 100 most important archaeological discoveries over the past 100 years; its historical heritage can be traced directly back 5300 years. Understanding the early landscape of the site would provide important information about the origin of Chinese civilization. The SHS site is buried and surface traces are difficult to see; therefore, we attempted to reconstruct the early landscape of the site based on a current surface landscape model and environmental archaeological analysis. We created a modern three-dimensional (3D) landscape model of the study area from high spatial resolution unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial photographs and analysed the distance change between the Yellow River and SHS site in the past 60 years from CORONA and Landsat images. By combining environmental archaeological survey results, archaeological excavation data, relevant papers, and field measurements, we reconstructed the paleotopography of the SHS site during the Yangshao period (7000–5000 aBP). On this basis, 3D natural and human landscapes during the Yangshao period were rebuilt. The results show that (1) Satellite images acquired at different resolutions can provide multiscale spatial information about the site, and high-precision models of current conditions can be quickly generated from UAV aerial photography. (2) From 1960 to 2020, the shortest distance between the SHS site and the Yellow River was approximately 512 m. The location of bedrock on Mang Mountain can be used to infer the early extent of the northern terrace at the site. (3) Environmental archaeology provided information about the palaeoenvironment of the site area. By incorporating spatial information technology and 3D visualization, we can better restore the early landscape of the SHS site. Our work integrates environmental archaeology, field archaeology, and spatial technology, enabling data and modelling support for the visual interpretation of the SHS site.