Lipid residue analysis of ceramic vessels from the Liujiawa site of the Rui State (early Iron Age, north China)

The Liujiawa site is located in the Agricultural-Nomadic Transitional Zone in Northern China (ANTZNC), inhabited during the early Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 bc). Little is known about the diets of its inhabitants or agricultural management practices due to scant historical descriptions. In this study, lipid analysis was conducted on pottery sherds collected from two residential areas within the Liujiawa site. The results offer direct evidence for the processing of millet and ruminant and non-ruminant carcass products by the commoners of the Liujiawa community. The individual delta C-13 values of fatty acids with positive fluctuation indicate that some ruminant animals and pigs were fed C-4 plants as fodder. The routine consumption of ruminant meat by the common inhabitants also reflects a more diverse food source than that proposed in historical descriptions that have suggested dietary heterogeneity between the upper and lower classes: cattle or ovicaprid meat was not a singular privilege enjoyed by the noble classes. On the contrary, commoners also consumed the meat as a food source. Moreover, direct evidence of dairy processing has been found for the first time in pottery residues from an archaeological site within ANTZNC, strongly indicating that milk had been incorporated into the diet as an additional source of food.

Automated summary

Lipid analysis of pottery sherds from the Liujiawa site in Northern China revealed that commoners processed millet, ruminant and non-ruminant carcass products, and routinely consumed ruminant meat, contrasting historical descriptions suggesting dietary heterogeneity. Additionally, evidence of dairy processing was found for the first time in the Agricultural-Nomadic Transitional Zone, indicating milk was incorporated into the diet as an additional food source.