Early Holocene broad-spectrum subsistence at Xinglong in the southeastern Inner Mongolian Plateau, North China

Abstract

Human adaptations post-Pleistocene, especially during the early Holocene in ecotonal regions, are vital for understanding the mechanisms of evolutionary trajectories of domestication in human history. Unfortunately, human subsistence in the ecotonal zones in North China, which is one of the earliest domestication centers in the world, has not yet been fully understood. Here, we present zooarchaeological data from the early Holocene site of Xinglong in the southeastern Inner Mongolian Plateau to uncover human adaptive subsistence strategies at the beginning of domestication. Our results reveal that dogs have been domesticated at the site since the early Holocene. While the ratios of large ungulates (e.g., aurochs, cervids, and equids) began to increase in the Neolithic Phase 3 period, there have been few fluctuations for wild boars over that time, suggesting a limited role that wild boars might have been playing in human subsistence. Moreover, a wide range of other faunal (e.g., small game prey) and floral taxa were also exploited, indicating a long practice of a successful broad-spectrum subsistence economy prior to the origins and development of agriculture. These findings provide valuable insights into early human-animal-environment interactions and the adaptive evolution of human societies in the early Holocene.