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<p>This study investigates livestock management strategies at the early Shang capital of Zhengzhou through sequential carbon and oxygen isotopic analysis of tooth enamel from the Zijingshanlu site. The data reveal a growing sophistication in management. For cattle, strategies included year-round and seasonal C<sub>4</sub> foddering to address different needs, while sheep husbandry was more flexible, involving targeted seasonal supplementation and low-input free-ranging. Livestock reproduction largely followed natural cycles to ensure winter survival, with evidence for an extended breeding season suggesting potential human intervention to meet certain needs. These strategies illustrate the complex adaptations of animal husbandry to the resource challenges of an early urban center. As Zhengzhou grew into a political and economic center, such management played a critical role in meeting the demands of the city. The isotopic evidence underscores the critical adaptability of livestock management in sustaining the socio-economic stability of the early Shang period.</p>

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Diversified livestock management and urban adaptation in the early Shang capital of Zhengzhou: sequential evidence from cattle and sheep tooth enamel at the Zijingshanlu site, China

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月6日

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  • Tianyang Gu,
  • Hui Deng,
  • Xiaomin Zeng,
  • Guoding Song,
  • Yanfeng Hou,
  • Guowen Zhang

摘要

This study investigates livestock management strategies at the early Shang capital of Zhengzhou through sequential carbon and oxygen isotopic analysis of tooth enamel from the Zijingshanlu site. The data reveal a growing sophistication in management. For cattle, strategies included year-round and seasonal C4 foddering to address different needs, while sheep husbandry was more flexible, involving targeted seasonal supplementation and low-input free-ranging. Livestock reproduction largely followed natural cycles to ensure winter survival, with evidence for an extended breeding season suggesting potential human intervention to meet certain needs. These strategies illustrate the complex adaptations of animal husbandry to the resource challenges of an early urban center. As Zhengzhou grew into a political and economic center, such management played a critical role in meeting the demands of the city. The isotopic evidence underscores the critical adaptability of livestock management in sustaining the socio-economic stability of the early Shang period.