河南邓州八里岗遗址出土的仰韶早期与中晚期人骨体质状况的对比分析表明,八里岗仰韶文化在其延续千年的时间内,居民体质状况从早期到中晚期出现一系列变化。具体表现为女性身高的减少、男女性下肢功能活跃度的降低以及四肢长骨纤细化的倾向。古病理指征则展现出龋病发生的显著增加、头骨钝伤的减少以及女性胫骨骨膜反应增多等表现。这些体质状况的变迁,与八里岗仰韶文化发展过程中日趋定居的生活方式、农业经济渐趋成熟以及食物加工技术的进步有关。与此同时,女性的社会地位开始呈现下降的趋势。八里岗仰韶居民的体质特征改变与这一阶段仰韶社会的发展状况及古代人类的行为模式存在密切联系。

Yangshao culture is one of the most representative Neolithic cultures in north China and played an important role in the origins of civilization in China. The bioarchaeological analysis of Yangshao human skeletal remains from Baligang, Dengzhou, Henan Province shows that in more than one thousand years of the occupation of the site (ca 4000-3000 BC), there are some clear osteological changes in Yangshao residents. Diaphyseal cross-sectional geometry analysis of femur midshaft and mid-distal humerus shaft revealed a decrease in lower limb mobility as well as the gracilization of both upper and lower limbs in males and females, which indicate an increasingly sedentary lifestyle over time and decreased workload that may related to the progress of technology. From the early to middle and late Yangshao period, the rate of dental caries increase significantly from 7.8% to 18.0% in males and from 13.2% to 20.9% in females. However, the blunt trauma of the skull decreased distinctly from 21.3% to 5.3% in males but maintained at low level in females from 10.4% to 7.4%. Combining with zooarchaeological and other archaeological evidence, these changes are related to the increasing sedentary lifestyle, the maturity of agricultural economy, reduced dependence on hunting-gathering economy and the development of food processing technology through time. In the meantime, female stature shows a reduction of 2.5 cm from 160.3 cm to 157.8 cm while male stature remain constant at 168.3~168.4 cm. Other palaeopathological stress indicator also show differences between males and females. A clear increase of tibia periosteal abnormal new bone formation can be observed in females. The rate of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) in lower canine is high, however there is no changes of the rate of LEH through time. The decreased stature and the increase of periosteal abnormal new bone formation of tibia in females indicate the social status of females tend to decline in late Yangshao period. According to archaeological evidence, a series of important changes took place in middle and late Yangshao societies in central China, such as the emergence of ancient cities, large households and large tombs, the hierarchical settlement also appeared within the region, which all indicate the emergence of social complexity and the establishment of new social order in this period. Morphological and palaeopathological changes of human skeletal remains are also part of this process. The physical characteristics of Baligang Yangshao skeletal remains are closely related to their behavior patterns and social-cultural context.