The bones of sheep, goats, horses, dogs, gazelles and catfish uncover a forgotten story of survival on the Liao Empire’s remote northern frontier, say archaeologists.
In a recent excavation in the remote steppe of northeastern Mongolia, archaeologists uncovered an enormous deposit of animal bones at a former garrison site – known as Site 23 – on the forgotten frontiers of the medieval Liao Empire.
Dating to around 1050, the bones paint a vivid picture of how people – likely soldiers, their families and support staff – survived in this challenging landscape almost 1,000 years ago.
Findings from the research, led by Tikvah Steiner at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, have been published in the journal Archaeological Research in Asia.
The study focuses on a long-overlooked part of the Liao Empire, which ruled parts of northern China and Mongolia between 916 and 1125.
While the empire is remembered in grand historical texts for its emperors, cities and military campaigns, there is little mention of the people who lived along the Liao’s vast 4,000km border wall – the discovery of over 7,000 animal bones from this isolated site offers rare insight into their world, says Steiner.
The animal remains include bones from sheep, goats, horses, dogs, gazelles and catfish, many of which show signs of butchery, burning or toolmaking. The presence of tools made from bone, such as ornaments and a rare whistling arrow, reveals that this community was highly resourceful, using every part of the animal to meet their needs.
“What we found was not just a military checkpoint supplied by a central power," explains Steiner. "This was a self-sufficient group – perhaps of soldiers, perhaps of civilians – managing livestock, crafting implements from bone, hunting and fishing in the local environment, possibly receiving some sort of supplies from the central power, and making choices about which animals to slaughter and when, all in a challenging and isolated environment.” Horse breeding was also likely part of daily life. 
The discovery of numerous neonatal animal remains, particularly lambs and puppies, may indicate that the community endured severe environmental stress – possibly a late spring freeze or other climatic disaster, explains Steiner. Such events are recorded in historical accounts of the Liao Empire’s later years, when food shortages and natural disasters strained the state’s control.
One particularly telling detail is the discovery of cattle bones split to extract marrow – an indication that food may have been scarce at times, pushing people to make full use of every possible nutrient source. It’s a small but powerful insight into how harsh life could be on the empire’s frontier.
Though the long wall built by the Liao dynasty is monumental in scale, its purpose and the lives of those who lived along it remain largely unexplored.
“The historical texts focus on emperors, not outposts,” says professor Rivka Rabinovich, who was also involved in the study. “But archaeology lets us hear the voices of those who lived, worked, and died far from the palace. These bones are a form of testimony.”
BY Daniel Graham Content editor
Danny writes about wildlife, conservation and the environment.

Published Date:2025-06-27