新疆洋海墓地先民的食物结构及人群组成探索

Exploration of human diets and populations from the Yanghai Tombs,Xinjiang

新疆自古就是中西文化交流的重要通道.根据人骨的C,N稳定同位素分析,探讨新疆地区先民的食物结构与人群组成等问题,可为文化与人群交流研究提供重要信息.本文分析了洋海墓地公元前12世纪至公元2世纪先民骨胶原蛋白的C,N稳定同位素,结果显示:洋海先民长期以C3类的动物性食物为主,表明先民主要以畜牧业为生.此外,不同时期先民食物结构的变化,与其人群组成的更迭密切相关.这表现为:青铜时代中晚期,先民多变的食物结构,与人群的多样化有关;经长时间休养生息和文化融合,至早期铁器时代,先民的食物结构显得较为一致;而至两汉时期,先民摄取更多的动物性食物,缘于更为发达的畜牧业.结合考古资料和文献,该变化应为匈奴的进入所致.

Historically,China＇s Xinjiang Region has been important in Chinese-Western cultural exchange.This investigation into the diet of human populations in the Xinjiang region provides substantial information on the interactions between China and the West.We report here on stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human bone collagen from the 12th century BC to the 2nd century AD at the Yanghai Tombs,Xinjiang.The results of this study indicate the consumption of significant amounts of C3-based animal protein throughout these periods.We argue that animal husbandry dominated the lifestyle of ancient Yanghai populations,while agricultural cultivation was less important.The diet of ancient Yanghai human populations clearly changed with time and is closely related to the fluctuation of human populations.More specifically,there were significant differences in food resources available to the Yanghai ancestors in the middle to late Bronze Age（12th Century BC-8th Century BC）,which may reflect the diversity of these populations.Subsequently,during the early Iron Age（7th Century BC-3rd Century BC）,after an extended period of adjustment and development,the diet of all individuals became more similar.However,during the Han Dynasty（2nd Century BC-2nd Century AD）,the human diet consisted of a larger proportion of animal protein than in earlier periods.This suggests that stockbreeding played a more important role in Yanghai during this time.Based on careful consideration of historical records and archaeological features we suggest that this was due to the arrival of the Huns.