Investigating Pig Management at the Shisanhang Site (Northern Taiwan): A Bioarchaeological Approach

ABSTRACT This study investigates suid management strategies at the Shisanhang Site (ca. 1800–500 bp ) in northern Taiwan by integrating stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis with demographic profiling of age and sex. A total of 51 Sus scrofa specimens were analyzed to explore patterns of suid herd management during the Metal Age in Taiwan. Results from isotopic clustering using DBSCAN identified a subset of individuals with tightly grouped δ 13 C and δ 15 N values, suggesting the possibility of deliberate human feeding. In contrast, other individuals displayed isotopic variability and overlapped with Neolithic wild boar baselines (Yuanshan Site), indicating ongoing access to natural forage and limited human intervention. Age‐at‐death data reveal a skew toward juvenile and subadult pigs (6–18 months), whereas a slightly male‐biased sex ratio and the presence of both sexes suggest flexible culling strategies rather than structured breeding. When contextualized with comparative data from the Siliao Site in southern Taiwan and the Neolithic Yuanshan Site, the Shisanhang evidence reflects a mixed‐use model combining opportunistic exploitation and low‐intensity management. This dual approach underscores a transitional stage in the domestication of suid, highlighting localized adaptations that complicate binary distinctions between hunting and husbandry. The findings contribute to broader debates on domestication in East Asia by demonstrating how ecological context, cultural preferences, and subsistence goals shaped variable trajectories of human–animal relationships in prehistoric Taiwan.