Ancient DNA reveals the early culture exchange between West and East

古动物DNA视角下的东西方交流研究

Cai Dawei 蔡大伟
Research Center for Chinese Frontier Archaeology of Jilin University 吉林大学边疆考古研究中心

Abstract

Previous studies approaching cultural interactions between the East and West heavily relied on historical documents and archaeological materials. Some of them examined and compared the forms and technology of excavated remains, other work traced the route of the dispersal of domesticated crops suggesting a West-to-East direction. However, a clear framework of cultural exchanges has not been established so far. Given the importance of meat consumption in human meals, domesticated animal farming and trading is inseparable in both ancient and present societies. The genetic characters of domesticated animals have great potential to reveal the patterns of cultural exchanges. Therefore, ancient DNA analysis of domesticated animals raised in different regions can accurately reflect the cultural exchange between regions. Using the ancient DNA technology, the Research Center for Chinese Frontier Archaeology of Jilin University has analyzed more than 300 samples of ancient domesticated animals from dozens of sites in northern China, suggesting that sheep, goats, cattle and horses in China were all introduced into China through cultural exchanges from foreign countries. We provide new clues to the early Eastern and Western cultural interaction.
东西方文化交流研究一直是考古学家关注的热点问题,以往东西方文化交流研究 主要基于历史文献和传统考古发掘材料,从考古学文化面貌、青铜冶金技术的传 播以及栽培农作物的东传等角度阐释问题,并取得了一系列的成果。但是迄今为 止,东西方文化交流的时空框架尚未建立,交流细节和交流路线尚不清晰。作为 人类稳定的肉食蛋白质来源,家养动物的养殖与贸易交流活动是必不可少的,人 类通过迁徙和贸易交流将家养动物带到了世界各地,形成了覆盖全球的贸易网 络。家养动物的遗传结构反映了动物交换的模式。因此,通过对不同地区饲养的 家畜进行古DNA分析,能够准确反映地区间的文化交流。大量的考古研究表明, 我国传统所说的六畜(马 、牛、羊、鸡、狗、猪),只有猪和狗是本地驯养的, 马、牛和羊都是通过东西方文化交流所引入的。吉林大学边疆考古研究中心利用 古DNA技术分析了中国北方数十个遗址近400例古代家养动物样本,通过重建不 同时期家养动物群体遗传结构,揭示了中国家马、黄牛和绵羊起源与传播的历 史,以及史前东西方人群文化交流,为东西方文化交流研究提供了新的线索。

Biographical Sketch

Cai Dawei is Professor of Research Center for Chinese Frontier Archaeology at Jilin University. Born in 1969, he was educated at Jilin University (PhD, 2007). He was a visiting scholar at the Glyn Daniel Laboratory for Archaeogenetics, University of Cambridge between 2011 and 2012. His research interests are ancient DNA, animal domestication and East-West cultural exchange. He uses biomolecule approaches to address a variety of research themes, including the origin of domestic animals in China, relations between animal economy and the degrees of complexity in early societies, human mobility. He has published around 40 articles and one textbook. He has undertaken many projects funded by Chinese National Social Science, Chinese National Natural Science, Chinese postdoctoral fellowship, Chinese Cultural Relics Bureau etc.

蔡大伟,吉林大学边疆考古研究中心教授,博士生导师。2007年在吉林大学获得 理学博士学位。2007年12月~2011年5月,在吉林大学历史学博士后流动站从事博 士后研究。2011年6月~2012年6月,作为国家公派访问学者,在英国剑桥大学考 古系Glyn Daniel Archaeogenetics Laboratory与Martin Jones教授和Graeme Barker 教授开展合作研究。主要从事分子考古研究(考古DNA),利用现代分子生 物学的技术、方法和手段,从分子水平上揭示考古问题。近期的主要研究方向是 中国古代家养动物起源与扩散研究,先后对中国多个遗址出土的家养动物如马、 猪、绵羊、山羊以及黄牛进行了考古DNA分析,为研究中国家养动物的起源、社 会经济形态的转变以及古代人群的迁徙提供了分子考古学证据。除了古代动物的 研究,目前,还开展了针对古代人类的研究,先后承担了江西靖安东周大幕、宁 夏彭堡、安徽蚌埠双堆、陕西零口、云南金莲山、蒙古国回鹘墓园等遗址出土古 人的线粒体DNA分析工作。先后承担和参与国家社科基金、国家自然科学基金、 国家科技部“十一五”科技支撑计划项目、教育部人文社科项目、中国博士后科学基 金、国家文物局科研项目。完成教材1部,发表学术论文40余篇。