Diet of the Chanyu and his people: Stable isotope analysis of the human remains from Xiongnu burials in western and northern Mongolia

This study was designed to study the effect of social stratification on human diet in the Xiongnu society. Human remains unearthed from three different sites in western and northern Mongolia were analyzed for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values. The results demonstrate that a certain amount of C-4 component was consumed by people of different social levels. The three noble individuals from terrace tombs at the Gol Mod 2 site ate a similar diet to most of the burial followers buried in satellite tombs, indicating similar lifestyle or a close relationship between them. Commoners from the Ereen Hailaas were very close to the nobles in isotopic features; this might indicate dietary similarity or could be related to the environment factors. The Salkhitiin Am commoners were lower in both carbon and nitrogen isotope values compared with other Xiongnu people analyzed before; it is likely that they had a quite different diet featuring less C-4 plant and animal protein. If such dietary variation was not related to social stratification, possible differences in subsistence strategies or dietary traditions should be considered. These results provide an important window into the social structure and subsistence strategies of the Xiongnu people and will facilitate future study on cultural communication and material exchange across the Eurasian continent.