Research On The Faunal Remains Of Neolithic Unearthed During 2018 Excavation At Xinglong Site,Zhangjiakou

Animals remains unearthed from archaeological sites are the research objects of zooarchaeology.The use of animal resources,ancient environment,economic activities,living patterns and other aspects are discussed in zooarchaeology with the help of zoology,taphonomy,statistics and so on.Based on the animal remains of the Neolithic Age unearthed during 2018 excavation at Xinglong site,we identify and analyze these animal remains,and focus on the utilization of animal resources,ecological environment around the site,economic pattern,nature of the site,etc.Xinglong site is located in the southeast of Xinglong village,Zhaoyanghe town,Kangbao county,Zhangjiakou city.From 2018 to 2019,the National Museum of China and the Hebei Province Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology excavated the site,covering an area of 1,100 square meters.A total of 14,062 animal remains had been unearthed in 2018,among which 12,959 were from the Neolithic Age.There were a variety of animal remains,including mammals,birds,fish,amphibians,reptiles and mollusks,of which the vast majority were mammals.Most of the mammals were hares,oxen,horses,deer and pigs.In addition,there were cats,foxes,wolves,rats,ect.The animals remains found in the site were basically wild animals and feeding dog might have occurred during the first phase of the site.Oxen,horses,deer,pigs and hares were the main animal resources.Birds,fish,mollusks were supplementary resources.According to the biological characteristics of all kinds of animals found in the site,we believe that the Xinglong site might be used all year round.The ancestors took hunting wild animals and collecting various plant resources as their main economic activities.At the same time,a pattern of division of labor and cooperation might have existed.The ancestors used animal resources to make artifacts.The natural landscape around the site was rich in types,mainly forests,grasslands and thickets.There were marshes,waters,and desert and semi-desert areas around the site.At present the study of zooarchaeology in northern Hebei and south-central Inner Mongolia is relatively scanty.The study of Xinglong site animal remains can complement the research data of this region.It could provide some help for the study of the economic activities of the early and middle period of Neolithic Age in this area,especially for the study of the natural environment,economic pattern and so on about 8000 years ago.