Food and pottery use at ultra-high elevation on the southern Tibetan Plateau revealed by lipid residues

Ultra-high elevation impacts human subsistence and adaptive strategies, and our understanding of the history of this region has been limited due to the paucity of archaeological materials. In this study, lipids preserved in pottery fragments and animal bones from the archaeological site of Mabu Co (4400–4000 cal. BP) at ultra-high elevation (4446 masl) on the southern Tibetan Plateau were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) to explore the food compositions and pottery use. Fatty acids indicative of animal and plant products were detected. The carbon isotopic results of fatty acids indicate the combination of aquatic and terrestrial animal resources. Combining with faunal and botanical evidence, the results on the southern Tibetan Plateau indicate farming in the lower altitude regions and agropastoralism in the higher altitude regions, reflecting different adaptive ways.