The 2024 China Conference on Animal and Plant Archaeology has been underway in Zhengzhou, Henan province, since October 22. During the event, reporters learned about a remarkable finding by Chinese researchers at the Yaohe Yuan site in Ningxia: evidence of an animal giving birth postmortem.

The Yaohe Yuan site, located in Pengyang County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, dates from the early Western Zhou to the early Spring and Autumn period, making it one of the furthest western city-state archaeological sites from the Western Zhou era.

Dr. Huang Zhexian, a doctoral student at Northwest University, shared insights from his team’s excavation in the CMK2 pit at Yaohe Yuan. They uncovered a lone adult female horse, designated Horse 6, which was 15 years old. Notably, remains of a juvenile horse, labeled Horse 10, were found within the pelvic area and abdominal cavity of Horse 6.

Dr. Huang explained that the skull of Horse 10 was located very close to the birth canal position, as indicated by its proximity to Horse 6’s pelvis and femur. Additionally, fragments of the radius, pelvic bones, tibia, and vertebrae were dispersed throughout Horse 6’s abdominal cavity, displaying signs of being underdeveloped and relatively fragile, consistent with a juvenile. Further examination suggests that Horse 10 could potentially be a fetus that had been gestating for at least nine months.

According to modern livestock data, the typical gestation period for horses is around 11 months, with breeding ages ranging from three to fifteen years. Considering the age, gender, and spatial positioning, it’s highly probable that Horse 10 was the fetus of Horse 6, which was buried after death during its pregnancy.

Dr. Huang elaborated on the concept of postmortem birth, a term used in modern forensic science that refers to a scenario where a deceased pregnant woman’s body decomposes, generating gasses that pressure the fetus out of the womb. Similar occurrences have been documented in archaeological studies in countries like Russia and Italy. Researchers suggest that this phenomenon may also apply to other viviparous animals.

He noted that this research presents the first documented case of an animal giving birth postmortem at an archaeological site, providing new information on how horses were managed and used during the Western Zhou period. This discovery also contributes to further explorations of horse burials in Bronze Age noble funerary practices and offers valuable reference data for modern veterinary medicine.