Animal exploitation transformations in relation to geopolitical shifts from the Zhou to Han Dynasty in the Yellow River valley, China

Spatio-temporal changes in animal exploitation strategies and their influencing factors in the Yellow River valley in China have been extensively reviewed, particularly during the Neolithic to Bronze Age (~8000–1000 BCE). The Zhou to Han Dynasty (1046 BCE–220 CE) witnessed transitions from the era of kingdoms to the imperial age, as well as prehistoric transcontinental exchanges to opening of the Silk Road. However, the importance of geopolitical shifts for livelihood transformations during this time remains little explored, largely due to limited zooarchaeological data. We report new zooarchaeological evidence and radiocarbon dates from four sites spanning the Zhou and Han Dynasty in the Hulu River valley. Results show a decline in omnivorous livestock (pigs and dogs) and a marked rise in herbivores (sheep/goats, cattle, horses) from the Western Zhou (1046–771 BCE) to the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BCE) and the Warring States period (476–221 BCE). During the Qin–Han Dynasty (221 BCE–220 CE), omnivorous livestock and wildlife became more significant, whereas herbivorous livestock decreased. Comparing published zooarchaeological and historical evidence across the Yellow River valley, we detect increasing reliance on herbivorous over omnivorous livestock in the upper reaches, but a declining reliance in the mid-lower reaches, from the Western Zhou to Eastern Zhou (770–221 BCE). During the Qin–Han Dynasty, omnivorous livestock declined in the middle reaches of the Yellow River valley, but strongly predominated in the lower reaches. These divergent regional trajectories of animal exploitation strategies are primarily attributed to geopolitical shifts from the Zhou to Han Dynasty, along with multi-factor interaction.