A recent study in the journal Antiquity provides strong evidence supporting that late-neolithic dogs in China were closely connected to the diets of their human companions, primarily eating cooked grains scavenged or provided by residents. According to Jiajing Wang, an assistant professor at Dartmouth College, current evidence suggests that dogs were domesticated independently within China, similar to pigs, which were independently domesticated in China and the Middle East. Archaeological sites from 6,000 to 10,000 years ago exhibit evidence of domesticated dogs, with dental fossils from the Longshan communities at the Kangjia Neolithic excavation site revealing that dogs likely survived on grains in the form of cooked food scraps.
Genetic testing indicates that dogs may have adapted to eating grains as far back as 30,000 years ago. The Kangjia village, known for its advanced pottery and estimated to be between 4,000 and 4,500 years old, was excavated in the 1980s and 1990s. Discoveries included 33 houses, nine human remains, and numerous animal bones, with evidence suggesting the villagers cultivated millet and rice while hunting for meat and wild resources. Analysis of various animal jaws, including pigs, sheep, goats, water buffaloes, and deer, found starch remains on their teeth, indicating a grain-based diet. Specifically, dogs likely ate millet, wheat, rice, and other grass-based foods, with 13 granules showing cooking-related destruction, suggesting dogs subsisted on cooking scraps.
Wang noted that pigs and dogs were domesticated as household animals, with pigs being the main source of animal protein for daily sustenance and ritual feasts, while dogs served various functions, including companionship and consumption. Stable isotope analysis hypothesized that millet contributed 65 to 85 percent of the ancient dogs’ diets, with other grass-based foods making up a large part of the remaining consumption habits. The prevalence of domestic crops in teeth analysis suggests the Longshan people actively managed domestic animals and influenced wild animal subsistence.
The Kangjia site also shows evidence of a feasting culture, with pigs likely key indicators of social status. Teeth analysis indicates pigs had a diet of food scraps similar to modern “slop,” and some pigs were raised specifically for feasting rituals. Research suggests meat was not a large part of the local diet, indicating pigs were raised for special occasions. Competitive feasting emerged in Longshan culture to establish and reinforce social hierarchies, facilitating the rise of social distinctions and laying the foundation for China’s transition into the Bronze Age. Wang emphasizes that animals played a central role in historical processes at Kangjia, participating in ritual systems and contributing to subsistence practices.
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