Early Bronze Age Animal Use at Lajia, a Qijia Culture Site in Qinghai Province, China by David Fargo B.A., University of Victoria, 2010 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Anthropology David Fargo, 2014 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee Early Bronze Age Animal Use at Lajia, a Qijia Culture Site in Qinghai Province, China by David Fargo BA, University of Victoria, 2010 Supervisory Committee Dr. Yin Lam, (Department of Anthropology) Supervisor Dr. April Nowell (Department of Anthropology) Departmental Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. Yin Lam (Department of Anthropology) Supervisor Dr. April Nowell (Department of Anthropology) Departmental Member The faunal remains from Lajia, a late Neolithic and early Bronze Age site in northwestern China reveal that sheep, a newly introduced domesticate during this time period, are the central source of meat for the site’s residents. This represents a shift from earlier modes of subsistence in the region, which were focused on pig husbandry. This project provides important information regarding food production and animal husbandry during a period in which larger centres of power were emerging and new domesticates were being exploited. Sheep were the most common domesticate in the Lajia assemblage, followed by pigs and cattle. This corresponds with a general pattern in northern China during this period, in which sheep are increasingly utilized. However, an examination of age profiles reveals that mature adult sheep were rare in the assemblage, which suggests that they were being exploited for meat. This is not consistent with evidence from other northern Chinese sites during this time period, where sheep are interpreted as being a source of secondary products such as milk and wool. In addition to this, an analysis of bone breakage aimed to determine whether remains were processed. These tests were inconclusive, revealing that the main source of fragmentation in the assemblage was related to butchery, but with no significant correlation between increased levels of fragmentation and high-utility skeletal elements. iv As well as providing a relevant case study for the development of animal use during the Early Bronze Age, the analysis of faunal remains at Lajia represents a building block for the continuing development of zooarchaeology in the Chinese context. v Table of Contents Supervisory Committee..............................................................................................................................ii Abstract.......................................................................................................................................................iii Table of Contents.........................................................................................................................................v List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................... viii List of Tables .............................................................................................................................................. ix Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 Relevance and Implications ....................................................................................................................... 1 Project Scope and Objectives ..................................................................................................................... 3 Thesis Structure .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2: Lajia and the Qijia Culture .................................................................................................... 6 The Lajia Site .............................................................................................................................................. 6 The Qijia Culture ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 3: Domestication and Subsistence in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age .................. 13 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 14 Setting the Stage ........................................................................................................................................ 16 The Early Neolithic ................................................................................................................................... 17 The First Domesticates ............................................................................................................................ 17 Plant Use in Early Neolithic China ........................................................................................................... 21 The Middle Neolithic ................................................................................................................................ 22 From Hunting to Husbandry: The Yangshao Period ................................................................................ 22 Banpo Culture ......................................................................................................................................... 24 Miaodigou Culture .................................................................................................................................. 25 Majiayao Culture ..................................................................................................................................... 26 The Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age ..................................................................................................... 28 The Seeds of a First Dynasty ................................................................................................................... 28 Erlitou ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 Lower Xiajiadian Culture ......................................................................................................................... 31 The Overall Picture ................................................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 4: Human Behaviour and Faunal Assemblages ...................................................................... 34 vi Taphonomy ................................................................................................................................................ 34 Kill-off Patterns ......................................................................................................................................... 36 Skeletal Element Representation ............................................................................................................. 39 Fragmentation ........................................................................................................................................... 42 Cut Marks .................................................................................................................................................. 44 Chapter 5: Methods and Data Analysis .................................................................................................. 47 Data Collection .......................................................................................................................................... 48 Quantification ............................................................................................................................................ 49 Bone Fragmentation ................................................................................................................................. 50 Comparing Context Types at Lajia ......................................................................................................... 55 Construction of Age Profiles .................................................................................................................... 57 Chapter 6: Results ..................................................................................................................................... 62 Site NISP and Species Richness ............................................................................................................... 62 Preservation and General Characteristics .............................................................................................. 64 Bone Tool Manufacture ............................................................................................................................ 68 Long Bone Breakage Patterns ................................................................................................................. 72 Fragmentation Levels ..............................................................................................................................