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Birds and prehistoric humans in North China: a taphonomic analysis of the avian assemblage from Shuidonggou Locality 12

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Abstract

Research undertaken over the last three decades has substantially transformed our understanding of avian exploitation in the prehistory. We now know that, as early as the European Middle Palaeolithic, birds were introduced in the cultural adaptive systems of prehistoric human groups for their meat, their bones for the manufacture of tools and their feathers either for symbolic and/or technological purpose. However, studies on avian exploitation mainly focus on the European and Levantine archaeological record, leaving vast regions of the Old World undocumented. Here we present the study of the avian assemblage recovered at Shuidonggou Locality 12, a c. 10.5 ka site from Northern China. Our zooarchaeological, taphonomic and technological approach shows clear difference in skeletal element representation by order as well as in the anthropogenic modifications present on these remains. More than ten taxa of birds are identified. Galliformes dominate the avian assemblage followed by Falconiformes and Strigiformes. While Galliformes appear to have been hunted for their meat, raptor wings were likely collected on the landscape and their feathers removed, likely to be used as ornament alongside stone beads. Furthermore, some bird bone may have been used in the manufacture of bone tools. Contextual evidence from the associated bone tool assemblage suggests nets and/or snares may have been used to catch the birds. Finally, the SDG12 visitors may have used projectiles equipped with blunt points to selectively hunt male pheasants.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. Lianhai Hou for help in taxonomic identification of the bird remains. We are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions. Y. Zhang and S. Q. Zhang acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41772025, 41672023). L. D. acknowledge funding from the Sino-French PHC Xu Guangqi (grant number: 41230RB), the Programme Talents (grant number: 191022_001) and the Grand Programme de Recherche ‘Human Past’ of the Initiative d’Excellence (IdEx) of the Bordeaux University. PACEA (UMR5199 CNRS) is a Partner team of the Labex LaScArBx-ANR (programme number: ANR-10-LABX-52). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.

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  1. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Yue Zhang, Xing Gao, Fuyou Chen & Shuangquan Zhang

  2. CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China

    Yue Zhang, Xing Gao, Fuyou Chen & Shuangquan Zhang

  3. Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, Qingdao, China

    Luc Doyon

  4. CNRS UMR5199 PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac CEDEX, France

    Luc Doyon

  5. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Xing Gao & Shuangquan Zhang

  6. Ningxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Yinchuan, China

    Huimin Wang

Authors
  1. Yue Zhang
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  2. Luc Doyon
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  3. Xing Gao
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  4. Fuyou Chen
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  5. Huimin Wang
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  6. Shuangquan Zhang
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Contributions

S. Z. and Y. Z. designed the study. Y. Z., S. Z., L. D., X. G., F. C. and W. H. conducted the study. Y. Z., L. D. and S. Z. wrote an initial version of the manuscript. All co-authors reviewed and made modifications to the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shuangquan Zhang.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Highlights

• We provide a first taphonomic study of a Chinese prehistoric avian bone assemblage.

• Most bones from Shuidonggou Locality 12 belongs to Galliformes.

• Galliformes were consumed by Late Pleistocene human groups.

• Aside occasional nutritional use, raptors were defeathered for symbolic purposes.

• At least two fowling techniques may have been used to catch avian prey.

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Zhang, Y., Doyon, L., Gao, X. et al. Birds and prehistoric humans in North China: a taphonomic analysis of the avian assemblage from Shuidonggou Locality 12. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 14, 157 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-022-01623-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-022-01623-1

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