A Study On The Human Skeletal Remains Of Northern Wei Dynasty From Yongtainanlu Cemetery In Datong City,Shanxi Province

Located at the core of the agricultural and pastoral transitional zone along the northern Great Wall,Datong held a unique geographical position and natural environment in ancient times.This not only made it a vital place of military and transportation hub,but also marked the convergence of agricultural and nomadic cultures.As the capital city of the Northern Wei Dynasty,Pingcheng(historical name of Datong)experienced unprecedented prosperity.It boasted extensive transportation networks that facilitated interactions and exchanges among various ethnic groups and regions,serving as a pivotal center for communication and trade.During this period,the continuous migration of northern nomadic tribes and central plains farming groups towards the metropolitan area,led to the transformation of Pingcheng into a diverse social,economic,cultural,and military hub.Here,different cultures and populations intersected and merged.The integration of diverse cultures shaped the vibrant historical landscape of Datong,giving rise to a unique and rich human geographic landscape,that profoundly influenced the development and evolution of ancient Chinese culture.The Yongtainanlu Cemetery stands as a significant archaeological site at this juncture of time and space.This research focuses on the skeletal remains unearthed from the Northern Wei period graves at the Yongtainanlu Cemetery from the perspective of bioarchaeology.Interdisciplinary approaches were applied,including physical anthropology,paleodemography,paleopathology,statistics,history,and ethnography,combining morphological observations,measurements and multivariate statistical analyses.Systematic investigations have been conducted in several aspects of ancient population structure,physical characteristics,behavioral patterns,trauma and disease.This research provides valuable insights into the political strategies,social structures,population compositions,migrations,health conditions,livelihood patterns,and customs of Pingcheng during the Northern Wei period.It also serves as a crucial foundation for exploring significant academic issues of ethnic interactions,exchanges,and acculturation in the core regions of ancient China,as well as the historical formation of the diverse and integrated Chinese civilization.The paper is divided into seven chapters:Chapter One provides a brief overview of the archaeological background,natural and human geographical conditions,and historical development of the Yongtainanlu Cemetery.It reviews previous bioarchaeological research on Datong in the Northern Wei period and introduces the materials and significance of this research.Chapter Two presents statistic results of burial postures and the preservation status of teeth of the Yongtainanlu Northern Wei collection.Single burials are predominant,with some individual joint burials.Among single burials,supine extended burials are the most prevalent.In joint burials,adult male-female pairs are mainly buried together;males usually in supine extended position,and females either in supine extended or lateral positions facing males.Some joint burials show both males and females buried laterally,facing each other in an intimate “embracing” posture.Chapter Three presents the demography of the Northern Wei residents of Yongtainanlu.The life expectancy,marital patterns,fertility,social life,and political strategies were investigated and discussed.The result shows low mortality sex ratio in contrast to historical records,which possibly caused by military campaigns and conscription systems of the time.The population’s peak mortality is concentrated in the age groups of 30-34 and 35-39,with fewer deaths at older ages,which contrasts with the recorded longer lifespans of high-status populations of the Northern Wei society in historical documents.Male mortality peaks between ages 30 and 50,which likely caused by male engagement in agricultural production,urban construction,transportation,and military conscription.Female mortality rates are higher under 24,which possibly caused by the early marriage and childbearing policies and patriarchal family ideologies that prevalent during the Northern Wei period.Chapter Four discusses the population migrations,interactions,and acculturation during the Northern Wei period in Pingcheng through analyses of the physique types among the Northern Wei residents at Yongtainanlu.The results indicate a diverse distribution of physical characteristics among the population,reflecting various ethnic interactions and exchanges due to political shifts,population migrations,and increasing interactions with surrounding populations.Ethnic groups coexisted and interacted in various aspects of social production and life,marking a new stage of ethnic integration.Additionally,some European individuals were identified,providing evidence for the prosperity and activity of Pingcheng on the Silk Road during the Northern Wei period.Chapter Five reconstructs the body size and behavioral patterns of the Yongtainanlu Northern Wei residents through the skeletal remains,and further investigates their economic activities and livelihoods.Results indicate that male samples’ stature are slightly below average,while females show opposite trend.The average body mass of the samples is close to or below the lower limit of the variation body mass range in nomadic populations,but closely resembles that of agricultural populations.Such result indicates the predominantly agricultural economic model for this population,with some males possibly engaged in pastoralism as well.Additionally,observations of knee joint surfaces and Poirier’s facetsindicate changes in kneeling and riding behaviors as a result of population integration and cultural exchanges.Chapter Six observes the traumas and diseases of the Northern Wei residents at Yongtainanlu,combining with the archaeological,historical,and cultural backgrounds to reveal their health conditions,dietary structures,nutritional levels,lifestyles,and production modes.The prevalence of dental caries suggests a shift in economic structures,with evidence of coexisted pastoral and agricultural economies.The results also suggest that mixed economies may have had a negative impact on population’s health.Furthermore,lower rates of violence-related trauma suggest that accidents from horseback riding and occupational hazards may have been the primary causes of trauma.Chapter Seven summarizes the main findings and viewpoints,outlines the social and cultural landscape of Pingcheng during the Northern Wei period,and discusses multiethnic interactions and cultural exchanges.