Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41469809›Full record

ArticleNature human behaviour2026

Multidisciplinary analyses and ancient DNA reveal social inequality and mobility in the Central Plains during the Eastern Zhou period in China.

Baoshuai Zhang, Jiajing Zheng, Lei Sun, Yuanyuan Zhang, Zhenlong Gao, Zhaohui Han, Pengfei Sheng, Xingxiang Zhang, Juan Wang, Panxin Du and 13 more

Abstract readHistorical Article
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature human behaviour, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

23 authors.

Baoshuai Zhang *USTC Archaeometry Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.ORCID 0000-0002-0501-495X
Jiajing Zheng *State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Lei Sun *Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, Zhengzhou, China.
Yuanyuan ZhangUSTC Archaeometry Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Zhenlong GaoHenan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, Zhengzhou, China. 253466072@qq.com.ORCID 0009-0002-4121-1982
Zhaohui HanHenan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, Zhengzhou, China.
Pengfei ShengDepartment of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Xingxiang ZhangUSTC Archaeometry Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Juan WangDepartment of History of Science and Scientific Archaeology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Panxin DuState Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Jianxue XiongInstitute of Archaeological Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Xin ChangDepartment of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Ke WangDepartment of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Bangyan WangHuman Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Kongyang ZhuState Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Rui WangMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Xiaomin YangFujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Bioanthropology, Institute of Anthropology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Tianyou BaiState Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Yu XuState Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.ORCID 0000-0003-3386-1379
Gao WuCore Facility Center for Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Chuan-Chao WangMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. chuanchaowang@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0001-9628-0307
Shaoqing WenDepartment of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. wenshaoqing@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0003-1223-4720
Anchuan FanUSTC Archaeometry Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. anchuan@ustc.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0001-6755-1737

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Eastern Zhou period (771-221 BC), characterized by social stratification, was marked by important inequality. Here the authors analyse 32 skeletons from Songzhuang Cemetery in Henan Province using sex-specific peptides, ancient DNA and isotopes to explore multidimensional inequality in sexes, diet and mobility. DNA and proteomic analyses show that young women were marginalized as sacrificial victims (22 out of 26 human sacrifices were female). Carbon and nitrogen isotopic analyses suggest dietary differences by social class, with the nobility consuming more high-protein and millet-based diets than sacrificial companions, who themselves show intra-group dietary variation (δ

Indexed as

DietDNA, AncientSocial ClassSocial MobilityCarbon IsotopesChinaFemaleHistory, AncientHuman MigrationHumansMaleNitrogen IsotopesSocioeconomic FactorsCarbon IsotopesDNA, AncientNitrogen Isotopes

Identifiers

PMID41469809

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.