The practice of ritual killing, using both human and animal subjects, was prevalent in early
Bronze Age China. This study addresses one key archaeological question that concerns the
social roles and geographical origins of these human victims. Although oracle bone
inscriptions from the site of Yinxu mentioned that many of these victims were war captives,
little archaeological evidence could support or confirm this assertion. Using stable carbon,
nitrogen, and sulfur isotope analysis, we reconstructed and compared the dietary practices …