Jiajing Wang

This research investigates the relationship between pig management and increasing social inequalities during the formation of early states in the Central Plains of China. Spanning from 2050 to 1400 BC, this period witnessed the transition from the late Longshan period, characterized by pre-state polities with significant pig consumption, to the Shang, a state regime where pigs played a key role in ritual feasting and sacrificial ceremonies. Focusing on the sites of Xinzhai, Erlitou, and Yanshi Shang City, which collectively trace the development from pre-state societies to centralized states, this research applies microbotanical (starch and phytoliths) dental calculus analysis to achieve two objectives: (1) reveal potential shifts in pig management regimes in relation to increasing levels of social inequality, and (2) explore the degree of elite control over pigs as ritual and political resources. Findings from this project will contribute to the emerging trends in social zooarchaeology by examining the role of animals in shaping human political dynamics. It also introduces the innovative technique of microfossil dental calculus analysis to the field of Chinese archaeology, establishing standards and fostering future collaboration between field archaeologists, archaeobotanists, and zooarchaeologists.