Terrestrial and maritime, domestic and wild: Diversified animal exploitation from the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age in the eastern Shandong Peninsula, China

The exploitation of animals, either domesticated or wild, indicates human management strategies during the Holocene. While the system of intensifying domesticated animals (e.g. pigs) and plants (e.g. millets) was well established, demonstrating the development of Neolithic societies in inland China, a model of how animals were exploited in coastal China where both terrestrial and marine resources were available remains underexplored. By investigating faunal remains excavated from Wutai and Zhaogezhuang on the northern edge of the eastern Shandong Peninsula, we attempt to reveal the animal exploitation practices over time from the Dawenkou to Yueshi periods in this region. Our results show that while pigs, dogs, and cattle were domesticated, a large number of wild boars and deer were still harvested. In addition to terrestrial resources, marine animals including molluscs, albeit experiencing a significant decline since the Late Dawenkou/Early Longshan period, were exploited, indicating an extensive use of the surrounding available faunal resources by the local human groups. Furthermore, animal bones in this region were used to make tools and serve as oracle divination materials, suggesting a closer bond between humans and animals in which animals supported human societies not only in economic but also in ritual/cultural/societal perspectives.