Research On The Faunal Remains Unearthed During 2016-2017 Excavation At Longqiuzhuang Site,Gaoyou,Jiangsu

Longqiuzhuang Site is located in Longqiu Town,Gaoyou city,Jiangsu Province.It is located on the western edge of the Lixiahe Plain and is the best-preserved neolithic settlement site in the Jiang-Huai eastern part.In order to cooperate with the construction of the national archaeological park,the site was excavated again in 2016-2017,covering an area of 1,150 square meters.The excavation area can be divided into north and south parts.According to the stages of the site,the unearthed animal remains can be divided into five stages:early stage of the second phase of Longqiuzhuang culture,late stage of the second phase of Longqiuzhuang culture,third phase of Longqiuzhuang culture,Songze culture period,and Liangzhu-Guangfulin culture period.This article mainly studies the animal remains unearthed at various stages of the site,and discusses the natural environment of the site,the economics of the residents’ life,and the way people use animal resources.From 2016 to 2017,a total of 7,287 animal remains were excavated at the Longqiuzhuang site,and 4,694 specimens were identified to the family,with an identification rate of 64%.The genus of animals covers the five major classes of the Lamellibranchia,Pisces,Reptilia,Aves,and Mammalia,including:Lamprotula tortuosa,Cuneopsis heudei,Cuneopsis capitata,Unio douglasiae,Schistodesmus lampreyanus,Lanceolaria,Corbicula fluminea,Meretrix meretrix,Cyprinus carpio,Mylopharyngodon piceus,Hypophthalmicthys molitrix,Silurus,pelteobagrus fulvidraco,Channa argus,Lateolabrax maculatus,Emydidae,Pelochelys,Pelodiscus sinensis,Gruidae,Anser,Anas,Phasianidae,Canis familiaris,Nyctereutes procyonoides,Arctonyx collaris,Paera tigris,Sus,Elaphurus davidianus,Cervus nippon,Muntiacus,Bubalus.In each period,the number of mammals accounted for the majority,among which the number of elk was the largest,followed by the pig and sika deer.Studies on wildlife and plant remains have shown that the site is surrounded by lush river valley grasslands,shrub forests and reed-filled rivers and lakes,with a warm and humid climate and a favorable natural environment.Livestock farming has emerged,providing a steady source of meat for the inhabitants.The results of meat quantity statistics at each stage show that the ancestors of this site mainly hunted elk and raised domestic pigs to obtain meat resources.The age structure of elk death indicates that the ancestors pursued the strategy of maximizing meat quantity when hunting elk.According to the analysis of animal bone surface traces and bone object,it can reflect the various behaviors of the ancestors when using animals.Domestic pigs raised by ancestors are mainly used as meat resources;deer animals are not only the main source of meat but also the main raw materials for bone and horn products;mollusks,fish,and birds are important nutritional supplements for ancestors.From the perspective of zooarchaeology,there is no fundamental difference in the production economy of the ancestors in different cultural stages within the site,who obtained the main source of meat by hunting elks and raising domestic pigs.In terms of raising domestic dogs,the phenomenon of raising dogs in the second stage of Longqiuzhuang culture is more common than that in other stages.In terms of the use of mollusks,the ancestors of Songze culture not only ate mollusks,but also collected shells to pave the square.Through the comparison with Qingdun site,we know that the ancestors of Longqiuzhuang culture mainly hunted elk to obtain meat resources and raw materials for processing implement made of bone and horn.In addition,raising domestic pigs,dogs and fishing activities are also important economic activities.By comparison with other archeological cultures in the surrounding area,it can be seen that the ancestors of Songze culture had a higher utilization degree of domestic pigs than that of Longqiuzhuang culture,and they were more inclined to hunting sika deer.Although Longqiuzhuang was strongly influenced by Liangzhu culture in the later period,its utilization of animal resources was quite different from that of Liangzhu culture——the hunting economy still occupies a large proportion and retains more characteristics of the region.