Fig 1.
Map showing the location of Shirenzigou in the eastern Tianshan Mountain region, northwest China.
Map produced in ArcMap 10.7.1. The digital elevation model was acquired from the Geospatial Data Cloud site, Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences (http://www.gscloud.cn).
Fig 2.
Photo showing modern natural landscape surrounding the site of Shirenzigou.
Fig 3.
Calibrated radiocarbon dates for Shirenzigou.
Conventional radiocarbon ages were generated by the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Dating Laboratory of Peking University in Beijing. Calibration was performed in OxCal v4.4 [53], using IntCal20 as the calibration curve [54] (https://c14.arch.ox.ac.uk/oxcal/OxCal.html). Most radiocarbon dates in this figure (IDs 1–8, 11–13) were reported in previous research [55–57], and in this study we recalibrated these data using the most recent calibration curve (S1 Table).
Fig 4.
Examples of oracle bones from Shirenzigou.
1) specimen from 2009HBSIIIT0822④; 2) specimen from 12XBSIIIT0720II-3④. The close-ups at the bottom show brownish burned marks on the scapulae (Left: specimen from 2009HBSIIIT0822④; Right: specimen from 2011XBSIIIHD12).
Fig 5.
Examples of ornaments from Shirenzigou.
1) specimen from 12XBSIIIT0721I-3④; 2) specimen from 12XBSIIIT0721II-2JX6②; 3) specimen from 2010HBSⅢT0619Ⅲ②; 4) specimen from 2007BSDM016.
Fig 6.
Examples of bone awls from Shirenzigou.
1) specimen from 12XBSIIIH015; 2) specimen from 2010HBSIIIT0619III②; 3) specimen from 12XBSIIIF003; 4) specimen from 2009HBSIIIT0719①; 5) specimen from 11XBSIIIT0720IV-2②; 6) specimen from 2010HBSIIIT0720I③. The close-ups at the bottom show polished tips of the awls (Left: specimen from 2009HBSIIIT0719①; Right: specimen from 2010HBSIIIT0720I③).
Fig 7.
Examples of bone tools from Shirenzigou.
1) specimen from 12XBSIIIT0720II-2③; 2) specimen from 2009HBSIIIT0822④; 3) specimen from 2010HBSIIIT0819IV①; 4) specimen from 2010HBSIIIT0720I②; 5) specimen from 2011XBSIIIDM4.
Fig 8.
Examples of bone arrowheads from Shirenzigou.
1) specimen from 2009HBSIIIT0719③; 2) specimen from 2010HBSIIIM003④; 3) specimen from 2007BSDIVM013; 4) specimen from 2010HBSIIIM003⑤; 5) specimen from 2010HBSIIIM003④; 6) specimen from 2007BSDIVM013.
Fig 9.
Bone plates unearthed from house F002 at Shirenzigou.
Fig 10.
Examples of bone plates from Shirenzigou.
1) specimen from 2010HBSIIIT0620II②; 2) specimen from 12XBSIIIT0720IIIH025; 3) specimen from 12XBSIIIT0721II-2②; 4) specimen from 12XBSIIIT0720IIIH020; 5) specimen from 2010HBSIIIT0620II③; 6) specimen from 2010HBSIIIF004④; 7) specimen from 12XBSIIIF006; 8) specimen from 2010HBSIII-P2③.
Fig 11.
Examples of worked caprine astragali from Shirenzigou.
1) specimen from 2009HBSIIIF002④; 2) specimen from 2009HBSIIIT0719③; 3) specimen from 2010HBSIIIM003②; 4) specimen from 2010HBSIIIT0719IV③; 5) specimen from 2010HBSIIIM003④; 6) specimen from 2010HBSIIIT0720I④; 7) specimen from 12XBSIIIT0720IIIH020; 8) specimen from 2010HBSIIIT0619III②.
Fig 12.
Worked caprine astragali from house F002 at Shirenzigou.
Fig 13.
Animal taxonomic structure for worked bones from Shirenzigou.
Fig 14.
Raw material selection for the six categories of worked bones from Shirenzigou.