Livestock Management and Subsistence Strategies at the Yong'an Site (1379–1288 cal BP), Jilin Province, Northeast China: Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Evidence From Faunal Remains

Northeast China experienced long‐term mixed subsistence during periods of political transition, with resource conditions and livestock management varying regionally. This study examines the Yong'an site in Jilin Province. Based on taxonomic identification, quantitative analysis, and AMS‐ 14 C dating, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was undertaken on 34 animal bone collagen samples to investigate animal diet, livestock husbandry, and local subsistence. AMS‐ 14 C dating constrains the analyzed faunal assemblage to 1379–1288 cal BP, broadly corresponding to the late Northern Dynasties–early Tang period and falling, in regional historical terms, within the period of Goguryeo control in this part of Northeast China. The faunal assemblage indicates subsistence centered on domestic mammals while retaining fishing and hunting components. Isotopic results show that roe deer (δ 13 C: −20.2‰ ± 0.3‰; δ 15 N: 4.6‰ ± 0.8‰; n = 3), bear (δ 13 C: −17.9‰; δ 15 N: 6.5‰; n = 1), and pigs (δ 13 C: −19.4‰ ± 1.9‰; δ 15 N: 5.5‰ ± 1.3‰; n = 10) relied mainly on C 3 resources; horses (δ 13 C: −14.7‰ ± 3.0‰; δ 15 N: 5.7‰ ± 1.5‰; n = 5) and cattle (δ 13 C: −15.2‰ ± 3.8‰; δ 15 N: 5.9‰ ± 1.3‰; n = 5) exhibited mixed C 3 /C 4 dietary patterns; and dogs (δ 13 C: −11.9‰ ± 3.2‰; δ 15 N: 7.7‰ ± 1.3‰; n = 10) showed greater C 4 input and higher‐δ 15 N food consumption through human‐associated feeding pathways. Differences in provisioning among domestic taxa indicate that livestock were not managed under a single provisioning regime. Pig diets were dominated by C 3 resources, with limited evidence for sustained millet‐derived C 4 input, suggesting management more consistent with free‐range or low‐input provisioning. Comparative pig isotope data from earlier and later Dongliao River Basin contexts show broadly similar low‐δ 13 C patterns, providing a diachronic regional reference for interpreting the Yong'an pattern as adaptive use of local C 3 resources under specific environmental settings.