사료(飼料)를 통해 본 신라시대 가축 사육 방식의 다양성 검토―경주 월성유적을 중심으로― = Examining the Diversity of Livestock Husbandry Practices in the Silla Period through Fodder-Based Stable Isotope Analysis: A Case Study of the Wolseong Site, Gyeongju

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examines the diversity of livestock husbandry practices in the Silla period through stable isotope analysis of animal remains recovered from the Wolseong site his study examines the diversity of livestock husbandry practices in the Silla period in Gyeongju, the royal capital of the Silla Kingdom. While previous isotopic studies have focused primarily on human skeletal remains to reconstruct past diets, this research shifts the analytical focus to livestock in order to explore feeding strategies and management sys- tems.
Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope analyses were conducted on 30 animal bone samples, including cattle, horses, pigs, dogs, and deer, recovered mainly from the fifth-century layers of the Wolseong moat. Isotopic data from contemporaneous plant re- mains were also analyzed to improve interpretive accuracy. In addition, the Wolseong re- sults were compared with previously published isotopic data from other Bronze Age and Three Kingdoms period sites on the Korean Peninsula.
The results indicate clear dietary differentiation among livestock species. Pigs show isotopic signatures similar to those of humans and dogs, suggesting diets dominated by C3 plants and close association with human habitation. In contrast, cattle and horses exhibit a wide range of carbon isotope values, reflecting diets based on C3 plants, mixed C3/C4 re- sources, or relatively high proportions of C4 plants. This variability suggests differences in fodder composition and degrees of dietary control, which likely correspond to distinct hus- bandry and management strategies.
The presence of C4 plant consumption in cattle and horses implies the existence of organized fodder supply and managed rearing environments, a pattern consistent with his- torical records referring to institutional control over livestock feed during the Silla period. These findings indicate that livestock husbandry in Silla society was not uniform but differ- entiated according to species and function. The Wolseong site, as a royal capital, appears to have operated within a broader system of livestock supply and management. Although in- terpretations are necessarily indirect, this study highlights the potential of isotopic analysis to reconstruct ancient resource management systems beyond human subsistence alone.