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<p>Revealing the integration between the nomadic pastoralists from the northern steppe and the agriculturalists in the Central Plains has always been key to exploring the formation and development of the Chinese national community by the perspective of dietary cultural identity. In the Guanzhong region during the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304–439 AD), agricultural and nomadic populations coexisted, making it an important stage for the interaction of agricultural and nomadic dietary cultures. To date, there has still been a lack of direct evidence on revealing the integration of agricultural and nomadic populations in this region by the perspective of dietary cultural identity. Here, we analyzed 36 human bone samples from 25 individuals of the Sixteen Kingdoms period (including long bones and ribs from the same individual) from tombs of Phases II and III of the Xi’an Xianyang Airport sites, conducting stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. The results show that ancestors mainly consumed C<sub>4</sub>-based (millets) foods or animals fed on their byproducts, supplemented by C<sub>3</sub>-based (wheat, rice, etc.) foods, which reflects a subsistence strategy mixed with millet agriculture, wheat or rice agriculture, and livestock husbandry. The isotopic results of individuals uncovered from middle and high rank burials reflect the approval and reliance on the agricultural economy. Comparing the isotopic data of humans from the Han (202 BC–220 AD) to the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD) in the Guanzhong region, as well as Xiongnu and Tuoba Xianbei in the steppe, we suggest that the nomads had already adopted and developed millet agriculture before migrating into Guanzhong region and that they fully adopted the agricultural economy during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. This indicates the more positive attitudes of the nomads to the agricultural culture, which promotes the integration of different populations and cultures ultimately. All in all, our study represents China’s first isotopic bioarchaeological research focusing on the Sixteen Kingdoms period, and provides an excellent case study for exploring dietary cultural identity and agro-pastoral integration in the Central Plains during this period.</p>

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Dietary cultural identity and ethnic integration: Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human bones in the Guanzhong region during the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304–439 AD)

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月22日

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  • Feng Chen,
  • Chenshuang Sun,
  • Daiyun Liu,
  • Youqian Tian,
  • Yaowu Hu

摘要

Revealing the integration between the nomadic pastoralists from the northern steppe and the agriculturalists in the Central Plains has always been key to exploring the formation and development of the Chinese national community by the perspective of dietary cultural identity. In the Guanzhong region during the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304–439 AD), agricultural and nomadic populations coexisted, making it an important stage for the interaction of agricultural and nomadic dietary cultures. To date, there has still been a lack of direct evidence on revealing the integration of agricultural and nomadic populations in this region by the perspective of dietary cultural identity. Here, we analyzed 36 human bone samples from 25 individuals of the Sixteen Kingdoms period (including long bones and ribs from the same individual) from tombs of Phases II and III of the Xi’an Xianyang Airport sites, conducting stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. The results show that ancestors mainly consumed C4-based (millets) foods or animals fed on their byproducts, supplemented by C3-based (wheat, rice, etc.) foods, which reflects a subsistence strategy mixed with millet agriculture, wheat or rice agriculture, and livestock husbandry. The isotopic results of individuals uncovered from middle and high rank burials reflect the approval and reliance on the agricultural economy. Comparing the isotopic data of humans from the Han (202 BC–220 AD) to the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD) in the Guanzhong region, as well as Xiongnu and Tuoba Xianbei in the steppe, we suggest that the nomads had already adopted and developed millet agriculture before migrating into Guanzhong region and that they fully adopted the agricultural economy during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. This indicates the more positive attitudes of the nomads to the agricultural culture, which promotes the integration of different populations and cultures ultimately. All in all, our study represents China’s first isotopic bioarchaeological research focusing on the Sixteen Kingdoms period, and provides an excellent case study for exploring dietary cultural identity and agro-pastoral integration in the Central Plains during this period.