PDF(Pubmed)
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.
摘要：
死后胎儿挤压,也被称为“棺材出生”，是指胎儿由于腹腔中气体分解的压力而被推出已故女性的现象。虽然在几个考古现场已经记录了人类的死后胎儿挤压，很少有报道说它发生在非人类动物身上。在这项研究中,我们介绍了一例在中国西北部耀和源西周时期的战马坑（CMK2）中观察到的死后胎儿挤压的病例，可追溯到公元前一千年初。这个特定的坑，在现场挖掘的四个人之一，至少有29匹马和3辆木制战车。这些马大多数是年龄在4至12岁之间的年轻人。在有性别估计的22匹马中，21是男性。在这些人中,一匹成年母马（马6）和一匹幼马（马10）特别重要。根据死亡年龄,性别,和两个人的头部取向，除了它们的空间关系，马6很可能是马10的胎儿，并在坑中被挤压。根据马10的分娩阶段，马6很可能在春末或夏初被安葬在CMK2中，在此期间，相对较高的温度可能会产生导致胎儿挤压的气体。虽然在姚河源的战马坑中列入怀孕母马的具体原因仍是未来研究的课题,该病例标志着考古马中死后胎儿挤压的第一份报告。这些发现为中国青铜时代定居精英中作为仪式实践的一部分进行马葬的时机提供了见解，并为当代马兽医学提供了有价值的参考数据。
