The Research Of Animal Remains Of Maojiaping Site In Tianshui,Gansu Province

The Maojiaping site was a site of Qin people's settlements during late Western Zhou Dynasty to late Warring States Period.This paper conducts an zooarchaeology study on the animals remains in the Maojiaping site,and understands the issues of the residents' rearing and utilization of livestock,the structure of meat,the way to obtain meat resources,the use of animal resources,the subsistence economy,and the way of using animals.Combined with the other remains of Qin cultural sites and tombs in the region,the paper explores the ways of raising and utilizing domesticated animals,the structure and source of meat,the subsistence economy and the burial customs of the early Qin people.Maojiaping site include unfinished pearl carp,cowry,tortoise,eagle,passerine,chicken,Phasianidae,vole,rabbit,dog,fox,badger,black bear,horse,pig,sika deer,red deer,roe dear,cattle,sheep,goat.According to the wild animal resources,the environment around the site is dominated by forests and slopes.The forests are lush,with large areas of shrubs and rivers nearby.Pigs are the most important meat resources of the residents of Maojiaping Site.Other domestic animals such as cattle,sheep and pigs also occupy a considerable proportion.The status of dogs is very special.Residents' access to animal resources is dominated by livestock,and wildlife hunting plays a secondary role.The production method is mainly based on planting agriculture and livestock breeding.In addition,the phenomenon of secondary development and utilization of domesticated animals,such as horses used for driving,wool may be used,and cattle may also be used for animal development.And it is very likely that there will be a special dog industry.Combined with the research on the animal remains of the Xishan site,the early Qin people's economic methods include the farming industry and the livestock industry.Livestock breeding includes five characteristics.First,the variety of domesticated animals,includinghorses,cattle,sheep,pigs,dogs and chickens,is very complete.Second,the dog occupies a very special position in the life of the Qin people.Third,the pig industry is developed,and pork is the most important meat resource of the Qin people.Fourth,the cattle industry and the sheep industry have also developed.Fifth,the Qin people's horse breeding industry is also very developed.According to the types and parts of the burial animals at the Maojiaping site,the location and head orientation,the age structure and gender,the choice of the animals and the level of the tombs,the ruins of the Maojiaping ancestors were discussed,and other related ruins were combined.The funerary animals found that the Qin people's habits and customs were constantly evolving in the three stages from the late Western Zhou Dynasty to the early Spring and Autumn Period,the late Spring and Autumn Period,and the Warring States Period.The practice of squatting in the middle and late spring and autumn is basically the same as that in the early period.In the Warring States period,the limbs of the burial animals tend to be simplified and the tombs are assimilated.In general,the Qin people's habits of stagnation have a strong commercial and cultural factors from the early stage,which may be related to the "eastern";while the development of the Xirong culture in the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period,there may be less communication with the funeral culture related.