A Preliminary Study On The Dietary Structur Of The Ancestors Of Shang Dynasty

Wangjinglou Site is located in Xinzheng City,Henan Province.The site was found to have a large urban site during the Xia and Shang period,and a wealth of relics were unearthed,providing valuable material for exploring the socio-political,economic,and cultural evolution of the Xia and Shang Dynasties.Since ancient times,human food structure and business model have been closely related to the process of social civilization and social hierarchy.This paper analyzes the skeletons of the ancestors of the Shang Dynasty in the Wangjinglou site through the stable isotope analysis method of carbon and nitrogen.It reveals the food structure and means of livelihood of the Shang Dynasty ancestors in the Wangjinglou site.In addition,this paper explores the factors that influence the differences in the food structure of the ancestors（sex,age,period,skeletal factors,etc.）,and then compares the pre-food data of the different periods and different regions of the Shang Dynasty.At the same time,combined with the food structure of the ancestors in the Xia,Shang and Zhou dynasties,the paper summarizes the development of the food structure and the business model of the ancestors of the Shang Dynasty.The following are the main conclusions of this paper:1.The stable isotope test of C and N on the skeleton of the Shang Dynasty in the Wangjinglou site shows that the millet or the animal that feeds on the millet dominates the food structure of the Shang Dynasty in the Wangjinglou site.The meat resources ingested are relatively abundant,but there are large differences in the acquisition of meat resources among different ancestors.By comparing the stable isotope values of the ancestors’bones of different genders,ages,periods and parts of the site,it is proved that gender and age are the main factors affecting the food structure of the ancestors.All in all,the Wangjinglou ruins of the Shang Dynasty have long been engaged in production activities mainly based on millet agriculture and livestock breeding.2.A comparative analysis of the food consumption data of the ancestors in different periods of the Shang Dynasty shows that the food structure of the ancestors in the Shang Dynasty was dominated by C₄ plants,and contained a small number of C₃ plants represented by rice and wheat.It is speculated that this phenomenon is related to the promotion of rice and wheat cultivation during this period.However,there are still significant differences in the food structure of the ancestors of the ruins in different periods.It is speculated that there are differences in the agricultural development status of the Shang Dynasty in different periods.3.A comparative analysis of the ancestors’data on the ruins of different regions in the Shang Dynasty shows that C₄plants in the ancestors of the Central Plains and Shandong have a larger proportion,but the proportion of C₄ plants in the ancestors of the Shang Dynasty is lower than that of the ancestors in the Central Plains.At the same time,the ancestors of Shandong Province were speculated to be related to the nature of the site,the climate and eating habits.The N value of the Shang Dynasty ancestors in Shandong was generally higher than that of the Central Plains,indicating that the ancestors’meat resources in Shandong were more abundant.4.Through the analysis of the food consumption data of the Xia,Shang and Zhou ruins,it shows that there is no significant change in the Shang Dynasty compared with the food structure of the ancestors in the Erlitou culture period.The ancestors of the Zhou Dynasty had a higher proportion of C₃ foods than the Shang Dynasty ancestors,and the meat resources were more abundant,indicating that the planting and livestock breeding industries were further stable and sustainable during this period.