New Stable Isotope Evidence Sheds Light on Childhood Dietary Shifts in Sichuan Basin After Sanxingdui Collapse

ABSTRACT Recent archaeological work has unveiled the achievements of Sanxingdui Culture, yet research on the socioeconomic and demographic history of the northwestern Sichuan Basin following Sanxingdui's decline remains limited. In this study, we conducted the first stable isotope analysis of childhood feeding practices during the Shi'erqiao Culture period (3100–2800 cal. BP), the cultural phase immediately following the decline of Sanxingdui Culture (3700–3100 cal. BP). By integrating new and existing isotopic data spanning the Late Neolithic to Bronze Age in the northwestern part of Sichuan Basin, we conduct a comparative analysis of the evolving trajectory of childhood feeding practices from about 4500 to 2200 cal. BP. Our research indicates that young childhood feeding patterns during the Shi'erqiao Culture period underwent certain changes compared to preceding and subsequent cultural phases, as evidenced by this community's significant reliance on a millet agricultural economy in child‐rearing practices. These findings suggest that complex cultural and economic adaptation strategies emerged during the social restructuring of the northwestern Sichuan Basin after the Sanxingdui collapse.