Animal selection strategies in mortuary practices at the Dawenkou Culture site of Jiaojia in northern China

Abstract

Lasting for nearly 1,500 years, the Dawenkou Culture, especially the middle-late phase, was a critical period for the evolution from a relatively equal to a stratified community, as well as the formation of social complexity in the Haidai region. It was worth noting that the uniquely high-level funeral practices in this period was strikingly characterized by the specific tomb structure and exquisite funerary objects. As an essential part of human society, animals have played important roles in mortuary practices for millennia. This report presents a preliminary analysis of funerary animals, dating approximately to 5000–4500 BP., excavated in 2016–2017 from Jiaojia site, one of the most important high-ranking settlement sites discovered in recent years in the northern Shandong Province. Based on the investigation of faunal composition, skeletal elements, burial location and their relationship with diachronicity, burial grade, gender and identity of the deceased, we discussed the differences in the choice and preference for animals in the burial practices at Jiaojia community during the Dawenkou Culture period. These differences highlight the functional, social, or religious significance of specific species, which played a crucial role in exploring the unique funerary treatment for elite groups. Additionally, our findings offer new insights into the subsistence economy and habitat of the ancients during the Dawenkou Culture period at the Jiaojia site.