人类学学报 ›› 2018, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (02): 318-330.

• 人类学学报 • 上一篇    

山西晋中小南庄墓地人骨的C、N稳定同位素:试析小麦在山西的推广

唐淼;王晓毅;侯侃;侯亮亮   

  • 出版日期:2018-06-15 发布日期:2018-06-15

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope of the human bones from the Xiaonanzhuang cemetery, Jinzhong, Shanxi: A preliminary study on the expansion of wheat in ancient Shanxi, China

TANG Miao, WANG Xiaoyi, HOU Kan, HOU Liangliang   

  • Online:2018-06-15 Published:2018-06-15

摘要: 小麦何时何地对中国北方传统的粟黍农业产生影响是近些年学术界研究的焦点问题之一。相关研究表明,小麦对中国北方不同地区粟黍农业的影响存在时间上的差异。古文献及考古研究表明,小麦在龙山时期就开始在中国北方地区出现,但直到东周及其后才逐步对粟黍农业产生显著的影响。为了探索小麦在东周时期在山西地区推广的程度和其对先民食物结构和生业经济的影响程度及其背后的内在动因等,本文选取晋中小南庄墓地东周时期人骨进行了C、N稳定同位素分析,结果显示先民的δ~(13)C值和δ~(15)N值都比较集中(δ~(13)C值的范围为-9.0‰~-7.5‰,均值为-8.0‰±0.4‰,n=16;δ~(15)N值的范围为9.0‰-11.7‰,均值为10.5‰±0.9‰;n=16),说明他们以C_4类食物为主,也有少量C_3类食物,但动物蛋白消费有所区分。据他们对动物蛋白占有的不同,晋中小南庄墓地东周时期人至少可以划分为两个经济群体,第一个群体可能从事农耕经济,第二群体可能从事畜牧经济。从事农耕经济人群的食物中的C_3食物应该主要来源于小麦,这说明小麦在东周时期开始在晋中地区有所推广。小麦在山西地区的推广、种植和使用,对传统的粟黍农业产生了相应的影响,使得先民种植农作物的种类有所增加,这应该加快了秦汉时期农业高峰期的形成。然而,山西地区小麦的推广相对缓慢,这可能与当地根深蒂固的粟黍经济和饮食习惯密切相关。

关键词: 山西;小南庄墓地;东周;C、N稳定同位素;小麦

Abstract: The expansion of wheat in ancient northern China has been increasingly discussed and debated in recent years, with a focus on arguments for the temporal-spatial expansion of wheat in a traditional millet-based agricultural area. Some studies show that there is a time difference in the impact of wheat on millet-based agriculture in different areas of northern ancient China. Historical records and archaeological remains indicate that wheat remains were discovered in northern China during the Longshan period. However, it was not until the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and its later periods that wheat affected millet-based agriculture significantly. In order to explore the expansion of wheat in Shanxi Province during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and its possible impact on human diet and subsistence economy, carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic analyses were performed on human bones from Xiaonanzhuang cemetery, an Eastern Zhou Dynasty cemetery, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, China. The results show that δ13C (-9.0‰~-7.5‰, -8.0‰±0.4‰, n=16) and δ15N (9.0‰~11.7‰, 10.5‰±0.9‰, n=16) values are high and concentrated, indicating that people relied primarily on C4 foods coming from millet and animals consuming millet products and/or by-products. Meanwhile, people also consumed some C3 food and had two different consumption patterns for meat. Individuals consuming more meat resources had lives centered on livestock economy, whereas individuals consuming less meat resources made their living mainly by millet agriculture. It can be concluded that C3 foods in the diet of the agricultural population mainly came from wheat, which indicate that the wheat was promoted in the Jinzhong area during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. The expansion, cultivation and use of wheat in Shanxi Province had a corresponding impact on the traditional millet-based agriculture, which enriched the types of crops. Planting wheat might have accelerated the formation of early Chinese traditional agriculture during the Qin-Han dynasties. However the speed of explosion of wheat in ancient Shanxi is very slow suggesting that there were many obstacles, such as traditional milletbased agriculture and dietary habits.

Key words: methodology; Paleolithic archaeology