Sustainable Hunting Strategy of Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) in the Neolithic Lower Yangtze River Region, China
Zooarchaeology studies the human-animal interactions over long periods, and can be used to evaluate the sustainable exploitation of animal resources. Sika deer (Cervus nippon), a National Class Ⅰ protected wild animal species of China, used to be commonly found at Neolithic sites across China. In th...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.812910/full |
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| author | Ying Zhang Ying Zhang Ying Zhang Ying Zhang Guoping Sun Yonglei Wang Yunping Huang Hiroki Kikuchi Xiaoyan Yang Xiaoyan Yang Xiaoyan Yang |
| author_facet | Ying Zhang Ying Zhang Ying Zhang Ying Zhang Guoping Sun Yonglei Wang Yunping Huang Hiroki Kikuchi Xiaoyan Yang Xiaoyan Yang Xiaoyan Yang |
| author_sort | Ying Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Zooarchaeology studies the human-animal interactions over long periods, and can be used to evaluate the sustainable exploitation of animal resources. Sika deer (Cervus nippon), a National Class Ⅰ protected wild animal species of China, used to be commonly found at Neolithic sites across China. In the Yangtze River region, although the Neolithic faunal assemblages show diversity in deer species, sika deer has always been one of the most important components. This research aims at discussing the exploitation of the environmental resources via the hunting strategy of sika deer at Tianluoshan, a Neolithic site in the lower Yangtze River region. The cull pattern and sex ratio of sika deer are reconstructed to display the pattern of prey selection. The results show a specific pattern targeting larger individuals including adults and juveniles, and targeting male over female. This pattern is able to maximize the yield, and keep the deer population sustainable. The sustainable hunting of sika deer probably is why the Tianluoshan site lasted for nearly a thousand years, during which sika deer had been a major prey for meat. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T10:32:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-37df677d127c434182f233064d85ab43 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-6463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T10:32:42Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-37df677d127c434182f233064d85ab432022-12-21T19:43:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632022-01-01910.3389/feart.2021.812910812910Sustainable Hunting Strategy of Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) in the Neolithic Lower Yangtze River Region, ChinaYing Zhang0Ying Zhang1Ying Zhang2Ying Zhang3Guoping Sun4Yonglei Wang5Yunping Huang6Hiroki Kikuchi7Xiaoyan Yang8Xiaoyan Yang9Xiaoyan Yang10Group of Alpine Paleoecology and Human Adaptation (ALPHA), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Beijing, ChinaInstitute of Archaeology, University College London, London, United KingdomSchool of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaZhejiang Provincial Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, Hangzhou, ChinaZhejiang Provincial Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, Hangzhou, ChinaSchool of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of History and Culture, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaGroup of Alpine Paleoecology and Human Adaptation (ALPHA), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaZooarchaeology studies the human-animal interactions over long periods, and can be used to evaluate the sustainable exploitation of animal resources. Sika deer (Cervus nippon), a National Class Ⅰ protected wild animal species of China, used to be commonly found at Neolithic sites across China. In the Yangtze River region, although the Neolithic faunal assemblages show diversity in deer species, sika deer has always been one of the most important components. This research aims at discussing the exploitation of the environmental resources via the hunting strategy of sika deer at Tianluoshan, a Neolithic site in the lower Yangtze River region. The cull pattern and sex ratio of sika deer are reconstructed to display the pattern of prey selection. The results show a specific pattern targeting larger individuals including adults and juveniles, and targeting male over female. This pattern is able to maximize the yield, and keep the deer population sustainable. The sustainable hunting of sika deer probably is why the Tianluoshan site lasted for nearly a thousand years, during which sika deer had been a major prey for meat.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.812910/fullzooarchaeologysubsistence economyculling profilesex ratioseasonalitysustainability |
| spellingShingle | Ying Zhang Ying Zhang Ying Zhang Ying Zhang Guoping Sun Yonglei Wang Yunping Huang Hiroki Kikuchi Xiaoyan Yang Xiaoyan Yang Xiaoyan Yang Sustainable Hunting Strategy of Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) in the Neolithic Lower Yangtze River Region, China Frontiers in Earth Science zooarchaeology subsistence economy culling profile sex ratio seasonality sustainability |
| title | Sustainable Hunting Strategy of Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) in the Neolithic Lower Yangtze River Region, China |
| title_full | Sustainable Hunting Strategy of Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) in the Neolithic Lower Yangtze River Region, China |
| title_fullStr | Sustainable Hunting Strategy of Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) in the Neolithic Lower Yangtze River Region, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustainable Hunting Strategy of Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) in the Neolithic Lower Yangtze River Region, China |
| title_short | Sustainable Hunting Strategy of Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) in the Neolithic Lower Yangtze River Region, China |
| title_sort | sustainable hunting strategy of sika deer cervus nippon in the neolithic lower yangtze river region china |
| topic | zooarchaeology subsistence economy culling profile sex ratio seasonality sustainability |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.812910/full |
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