Suting Li

This project investigates population dynamics of the Shang Dynasty in the Zhengzhou area, an archaeologically important region in the investigation of the earliest cities and civilization in China. By integrating strontium isotope analysis of human teeth with stylistic and technological analyses of domestic pottery wares from four major sites (Zhengzhou Shang City, Xiaoshuangqiao, Guandimiao, and Xiaohucun) representing both urban and rural communities, this study focuswa on the understanding of population composition and human mobility, the actual meaning and working of cities, as well as the reorganization of local communities after the abandonment of urban settlements in the Zhengzhou area through the Shang period. Research is carried out at the University of British Columbia through both active collaborative research and learning of western ideas and methods in anthropological archaeology, as well as archaeological chemistry.