The uses of domesticated animals at the Early Bronze Age City of Wangjinglou, China

Zooarchaeological research on the early Bronze Age in the Central Plain of North China has been focused mainly on two periods: the Erlitou culture (ca. 1900-1500 BC) and the late Shang Dynasty (ca. 1250-1046 BC). In this paper, our research on the animal bone assemblage from the Wangjinglou site, a walled city of the Erligang culture (ca. 1600-1400 BC), allows us to explore the use of animal resources and husbandry specializations during the time period between Erlitou and the late Shang. Domesticated animals, especially pigs and cattle, were dominant species in the faunal assemblage, while wild animals, mainly deer, were small in number. Moreover, the percentages of cattle and sheep were higher in prosperous phases at Wangjinglou and lower in the later phase during the site's decline. Analysis of the estimated death ages for various taxa suggests that pigs were raised for meat consumption, while sheep were used for secondary products. This research on Wangjinglou shows the varied nature of the animal economy at an early Bronze Age City in East Asia.