Long-buried stories emerge from animal remains
When fingertips trace the surface of a bone that has survived thousands of years, a window through time gradually opens. Scenes of ancient hunts and faded memories of domestication, long eroded by the years, flicker into view, with stories emerging from the cracks of bones. To preserve and study these fragile witnesses to history, the Chinese Animal Resources Specimen Repository was established last year. The repository was highlighted at a recent news conference in Beijing, as a major technological milestone achieved by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. According to Lyu Peng, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology under the academy, the repository houses more than 100,000 specimens of ancient and living animals in China. It includes ancient bone specimens of animals from 121 sites in 26 provinces across the country, spanning from the Neolithic period to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It also has more than 1,000 specimens of living animals with significant research and collection value. Each specimen is cataloged in meticulous detail. Records note where it was excavated, its estimated age, the archaeologists involved, and references to related academic research, says Lyu. "These animal remains may look ordinary, but they help us construct a research network from animal evolution to subsistence mode and, finally, to social culture," says Lyu. "In this regard, behind each bone there is a powerful historical truth." For example, animal bone analysis suggests the earliest-known domesticated dog in China, from the Nanzhuangtou site in Hebei province about 10,000 years ago, indicating that dogs began to enter humans' lives as hunting assistants then. Carbon and nitrogen isotope studies unveil that ancient people generously shared their food with their dog partners, says Lyu. Research on pig remains from the Jiahu site, in Henan province, dating back roughly 9,000 years, points to some of the earliest domesticated pigs in China. Over time, pigs became a major source of protein, shaping dietary patterns and agricultural systems. Together, these specimens document how ancient communities adapted to their environments and developed increasingly sophisticated production systems. "These silent 'historical witnesses' are not only crucial pieces in the grand puzzle of animal evolution, but also bearers of the magnificent epic of human's adaptation to nature. Each crack in the bones speaks of an enduring dialogue between civilization and the wild," says Lyu. Lyu notes that this repository was not built overnight but is the result of decades of work. In the early 1960s, the first generation of China's animal archaeologists, such as Zhou Benxiong, started to consciously gather specimens of ancient animals on a limited scale. In the 1990s, scholars including Yuan expanded and standardized the practice. In July last year, based on their work, the repository was officially completed and put into operation. According to Yuan, the repository builds a tangible evidence chain supporting studies on environmental change, animal evolution, civilization development, genetic lineage, resource circulation, and cultural practices. "It not only serves as a carrier of China's animal husbandry culture, but also injects technological momentum into decoding the genetic foundations of Chinese civilization through interdisciplinary research. "Also the repository offers technological support for interpreting civilization under the national cultural strategy, and provides valuable historical insights for achieving 'harmony between humans and nature'," says Yuan. "The set of criteria for determining animal domestication, developed by Chinese archaeologists led by Yuan Jing, highlights ancient Chinese people's contributions to global animal domestication, providing archaeological support to China's 10,000-year-old cultural history," says Lyu. The repository contains domesticated sheep remains from the Lajia site in Qinghai province dating back 5,000 years. There are also cattle bones from the Shantaisi site, around 4,500 years old, and horse remains unearthed at the Yinxu Ruins, dating back about 3,300 years, both in Henan.
