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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Early Evidence of Post-Mortem Fetal Extrusion in Equids: A C...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2024; 14(14); 2106; doi: 10.3390/ani14142106

Early Evidence of Post-Mortem Fetal Extrusion in Equids: A Case from the Western Zhou Period (1045-771 BC) Site of Yaoheyuan in Northwestern China.

Abstract: Post-mortem fetal extrusion, also known as "coffin birth", refers to the phenomenon where a fetus is pushed out of a deceased female due to pressure from decomposing gas in the abdominal cavity. While post-mortem fetal extrusion has been documented in humans at several archaeological sites, there are few reports of it occurring in non-human animals. In this study, we present a case of post-mortem fetal extrusion in equids observed in a chariot-horse pit (CMK2) at the Western Zhou period site of Yaoheyuan in northwestern China, dating to the early first millennium BC. This specific pit, one of four excavated at the site, contained at least 29 horses and 3 wooden chariots. Most of these horses were young adults aged between 4 and 12 years. Out of the 22 horses with sex estimates, 21 were males. Among these individuals, one adult female horse (Horse 6) and one infantile horse (Horse 10) were of particular importance. Based on the age-at-death, sex, and head orientation of the two individuals, alongside their spatial relationships, it is highly likely that Horse 6 was the fetus of Horse 10 and was extruded in the pit. According to the parturition stage of Horse 10, Horse 6 was likely interred in CMK2 in late spring or early summer of the year, during which the relatively high temperature may have generated gas that led to the extrusion of the fetus. Although the specific reason for the inclusion of a pregnant mare in a chariot-horse pit at Yaoheyuan remains a topic for future research, this case marks the first report of post-mortem fetal extrusion in archaeological horses. The findings offer insights into the timing of horse interment as part of ritual practices among the settled elites during the Bronze Age in China and provide valuable reference data for contemporary equine veterinary science.
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Publication Date: 2024-07-18 PubMed ID: 39061567PubMed Central: PMC11273478DOI: 10.3390/ani14142106Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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Overview

  • This study documents the earliest known case of post-mortem fetal extrusion, or “coffin birth,” in horses from an archaeological site in Northwestern China dating to the Western Zhou period (1045-771 BC).
  • The findings provide insights into ancient ritual horse burials as well as data relevant to modern veterinary science.

Background and Phenomenon Description

  • Post-mortem fetal extrusion (or “coffin birth”) is a process whereby a fetus is expelled from the body of a deceased female due to the buildup of decompositional gases in the abdomen.
  • This phenomenon has been previously documented in humans archaeologically but is rarely reported in non-human animals.
  • Understanding such cases in animals helps bridge archaeological knowledge with biological and veterinary insights.

Archaeological Context

  • The site is Yaoheyuan in Northwestern China, dating from the Western Zhou period (1045-771 BC).
  • The specific burial pit (CMK2) contained remains of at least 29 horses and 3 wooden chariots.
  • Most horses were young adults (4-12 years), and among the 22 horses with identified sex, 21 were males, making the presence of female individuals noteworthy.

Key Findings

  • Horse 6: An adult female horse suspected to be a fetus based on position, age, and sex.
  • Horse 10: An infantile horse, spatially related to Horse 6, believed to be the mother.
  • Based on anatomical positioning, age-at-death estimates, and the direction of their heads, it is highly likely that Horse 6 was extruded post-mortem from Horse 10.
  • The timing of interment likely occurred in late spring or early summer, with relatively high temperatures facilitating the generation of gases responsible for fetal extrusion.

Significance of the Discovery

  • This is the first documented case of post-mortem fetal extrusion in archaeological horses.
  • The case provides temporal context for horse interments connected with Bronze Age elite ritual practices in China.
  • The discovery could inform equine veterinary science by offering historical examples of parturition and post-mortem processes in horses.

Open Questions and Future Research

  • Why a pregnant mare was included in this chariot-horse burial pit remains unclear and is a subject suggested for further investigation.
  • Understanding the cultural, ritualistic, or functional reasons behind horse interment strategies may shed light on broader social practices during the Western Zhou period.

Cite This Article

APA
Huang Z, Ma Q, Zhang C, Cheng R, Hou F, Wu Y, Luo F, Li Y. (2024). Early Evidence of Post-Mortem Fetal Extrusion in Equids: A Case from the Western Zhou Period (1045-771 BC) Site of Yaoheyuan in Northwestern China. Animals (Basel), 14(14), 2106. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142106

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 14
PII: 2106

Researcher Affiliations

Huang, Zexian
  • Collaborative Research Centre for Archaeology of the Silk Roads, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China.
  • School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China.
Ma, Qiang
  • Ningxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Yinchuan 750001, China.
Zhang, Chengrui
  • Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
Cheng, Ruoxin
  • School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China.
Hou, Furen
  • Ningxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Yinchuan 750001, China.
Wu, Yi
  • Beijing Institute of Archaeology (Beijing Institute of Cultural Heritage), Beijing 100009, China.
Luo, Feng
  • School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China.
Li, Yue
  • School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China.

Grant Funding

  • 2020BFG02008 / the Key Research and Development Program of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

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