Multipurpose animal utilization underpinned early Bronze Age subsistence of an oasis in an arid area of northwestern China

The dispersal and development of pastoralism during the Bronze Age profoundly influenced human livelihoods and adaptability to diverse environments in northwestern China. Although diachronic changes in the composition of animal resources have been discussed, the specific utilization form of these resources remains unclear due to the lack of age-class and sex ratio data for inferring population structure. Here, we report new zooarchaeological data from the Haizang site dated between 4000 and 3500 cal. yr BP in an oasis in northwestern China’s Hexi Corridor. The 7092 identified animal remains are dominated by sheep/goat (53.44%) and cattle (15.61%), supplemented by pig (11.96%) and wildlife (11.11%), representing the largest animal remains assemblage in this area thus far. The mortality age profiles of sheep/goat and cattle remains show that domesticated ruminants were utilized for multiple purposes, implying the introduction of livestock utilization knowledge alongside these species. During this stage, the reliance of local subsistence on ruminant pastoralism was geographically varied in and around the Hexi Corridor, although these areas shared similar Qijia cultural phenomena. We argue that ancient inhabitants of Haizang took a more ruminant-focused and multipurpose animal utilization strategy, which alleviated the survival pressure caused by colder and drier climate in the global context of ‘4.2 ka BP event’ and underpinned local social development. The acceleration of trans-regional exchange across Eurasia during the early Bronze Age provided the paramount material and knowledge for this transformation.