Abstract: In general, humans of different social status probably had different diets, but this type of variation of human diets in archaeological sites remains poorly understood. In this paper, carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of human bones and also a few burial objects from Niedian site, Shanxi, are analyzed. The carbon and nitrogen ratios show that ancestors in Niedian had a typical agricultural economy of northern China, i.e., relying on millet agriculture and domestic animals. Although humans at Niedian had similar social hierarchies, they still showed substantial dietary differences. These differences were not significantly related to sex, age or social status of humans. Therefore, in early human society without a definite social hierarchy, the ancestors’ access to food were more likely influenced by populations of different cultures, habits or other factors, and may have nothing to do with their social hierarchy.

Key words: Status; Carbon; Nitrogen; Stable isotope; Palaeodiet