◎Our reporter Lu Chengkuan
Birds existed on Earth long before humans, and they are the largest group of modern terrestrial vertebrates.
Relative to mammals, however, bird skeletons unearthed from prehistoric sites are extremely rare.
"This may be related to the relatively thin bones of birds, which are difficult to preserve. It may also be closely related to the physiological characteristics, ecological habits of birds and even the development of ancient human hunting techniques." On August 4, in an interview with a reporter from Science and Technology Daily During the interview, Zhang Le, an associate researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, pointed out.
By studying the bird skeletons unearthed at the 12th site of the Shuidonggou site in Lingwu, Ningxia (about 10,700 to 10,200 years ago), Zhang Le et al. found evidence that prehistoric ancient humans systematically utilized bird resources, and Evidence that humans used feathers as ornaments 10,000 years ago was first discovered in China.
The relevant research results were published in "Archaeology and Anthropology Science".
Archaeologists believe that birds were not originally hunted by humans, mainly because birds can fly and are difficult to hunt; at the same time, their nutrient content is relatively low.
It was not until the late Paleolithic Age, with the emergence of specific birding tools and skills, that birds gradually became the regular hunting objects of prehistoric humans.
Over the past 30 years, more and more archaeological discoveries have shown that, as early as the middle Paleolithic period, humans had a very close relationship with birds: in addition to predation, prehistoric people also used the feathers and claws of birds. into ornaments, limb bones into tools and musical instruments.
However, "these archaeological discoveries are all concentrated in Paleolithic Europe and West Asia, and there are few research reports on the relationship between birds and prehistoric humans at the other end of the Old World - China and even East Asia." Zhang Le admitted frankly.
Relying on 414 bird skeletons unearthed from the 12th site of the Shuidonggou site, the researchers conducted a burial study.
They found that the birds at site 12 of the Shuidonggou site were mainly galliformes such as ring-necked pheasants, chinchillas and partridges, followed by carnivorous birds such as eagles and owls.
The traces of cutting, knocking, grilling and splitting caused by ancient humans on the surface of bird bones are mainly distributed in the succulent parts of Galliformes and the extremities of the forelimbs of raptors.
"This phenomenon shows that the prehistoric population of Shuidonggou captured galliformes mainly for food, while raptors were mainly for feathers," Zhang Le said.
At the same time, ethnological studies have shown that modern hunter-gatherers have traditional customs of using feathers of carnivorous birds as ornaments to show their hunting ability or social status.
Zhang Le believes that the prehistoric people at Site 12 of the Shuidonggou site may also have used raptor feathers as personal decorations to attract the attention of other members of society or groups.
In Zhang Le's view, this work provides an important regional case for the discussion and research on the relationship between prehistoric people and birds in China and even in the world. It adds a new research perspective and connotation to "my country's 10,000-year cultural history".