Case study of a special burial resulting from obstetric death at the Sanbulijia site, Shandong Province, China

Author:

Guo Lin12,Qi Gaohua3,Feng Xiaotian4,Peng Yu3,Mao Xiaowei4,Yang Zhangqiaochu2,Zeng Wen2,Zhao Yongsheng2ORCID

Affiliation:

1. School of History and Culture Shandong University Jinan China

2. Institute of Cultural Heritage Shandong University Qingdao China

3. Qingdao Institute of Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeology Qingdao China

4. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China

Abstract

AbstractMany young women were believed to die due to pregnancy and childbirth in the past, yet few cases of pregnant female burials have been reported in bioarcheological literature. Therefore, this paper reports the burial of an adult female (H49‐1) and her infant (H49‐2), who were buried together in an early Western Zhou pit at the Sanbulijia site, Jiaodong Peninsula, Shandong Province, China. It is the first reported case of obstetric death in thePre‐Qin Period in Shandong Province. The mother–child relationship was proved by ancient DNA evidence and archeological context. The infant's remains were placed between the adult's lower legs. Skeletal histological evidence suggests that the infant died during or shortly after childbirth. Sacroiliac fusion of individual H49‐1 may have resulted in dystocia. Furthermore, a special postmortem burial ritual—pit burial, was carried out for both the infant and the mother. H49 is the first Zhou Dynasty pit burial (multiple burial) with an exact radiocarbon date in the Shandong Peninsula. The case under review suggests that both the adult and the infant may have died due to special events, which may be related to obstetric death.

Funder

Beijing Nova Program

National Office for Philosophy and Social Sciences

Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province

Publisher

Wiley

Subject

Archeology,Anthropology,Archeology

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