Strontium isotope analysis on the migration of ancient Qin people from the Xishan site in Gansu Province, China

Abstract

Early Qin culture played a crucial role in the development of Qin civilization. The Xishan site located in the eastern part of Gansu Province is closely related to early Qin culture and has important archaeological value. This study uses strontium isotope analysis on human and pig teeth from Xishan to explore the Early Qin population’s makeup and migration. Analysis suggests some individuals were foreign migrants, aligning with varied burial customs observed there. These foreigners might link to the Rong of Longdong and Central Plains’ Zhou remnants. This study suggests that the Qin state consisted mainly of the Qin, the Zhou remnants, and the Rong. Over an extended period of time, people continued to migrate to live at the Xishan site, and the integration of different groups of people reflects the complexity and special attributes of Qin culture, which was formed during the long period of conquests and exchanges with the Rong people and various neighboring ethnic groups. These discoveries provide new perspectives for understanding the social structure of the early Qin people of Xishan site and the historical background of the rise of the Qin dynasty.