When did people in China start raising pigs?

Pigs are familiar animals, ranking first among the six animals and bottom among the twelve zodiac animals, which shows the important position of pigs in the traditional culture of China. There are a lot of documents and books about pigs handed down from generation to generation, such as Fan Sheng Zhi's Book, Qi Yaomin's Book, Three Ji Nong, Compendium of Materia Medica and so on. These all involve the relationship between pigs and myths and legends, language, folk customs and food culture.

Wild boar domesticated domestic pigs. The earliest known domestic pig in China came from Jiahu site in Wuyang county, Henan province about 7000 years ago. At that time, there may have been large-scale pig raising in the Central Plains.

The technological innovation of raising pigs in Shang and Zhou Dynasties was castration of pigs. The Book of Changes records that "tapirs' teeth are auspicious", that is, castrated pigs will become docile, even though they have sharp teeth. The Book of Rites says: "When pigs are young, dolphins grow fat", that is, castrated pigs are called "pigs" with thick skin and thick hair, and castrated pigs are called "dolphins" because they are fat and round. Castration is an important event in the history of pig raising, which shows that ancient people had a breakthrough understanding of the function and physiological function of pig testis. Then castration technology spread widely among the ancients and was welcomed by farmers.

The primitive pig industry is different from modern times, mainly grazing. According to historical records, there were "shepherds" in Qin and Han dynasties, that is, people who put pigs. In ancient times, food was scarce, but there were many wasteland, which was suitable for grazing omnivores such as pigs. Besides, in ancient times, not all pigs were castrated. Uncastrated pigs taste so strong that only the bottom farmers often eat them. Until the Song Dynasty, Su Dongpo improved the pork practice, added ingredients and stewed Dongpo meat for a long time, which was widely accepted as a must.

The pig industry in ancient times developed with agricultural production, not only for eating meat, but also for accumulating fertilizer. People in the Han dynasty had a considerable understanding of the relationship between fertilizer and soil. Through the textual research on the pottery pigsty unearthed from Han tombs, it is proved that the phenomenon of combining house feeding with grazing has appeared in some areas. In order to store fertilizer, various forms of pigsty were designed: independent pigsty, pigsty connected with toilet and pigsty connected with workshop. In the Han dynasty, the cultivation of pig breeds also developed considerably. In Fang Yizhi's "Physics Tips", it is mentioned that "short people without hair are good, and it is difficult to leave three teeth." It shows that the relationship between the function and morphology of pigs was mastered at that time, which played a great role in improving the quality of pig breeds.

After Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, people's experience in raising pigs accumulated day by day, and it was recorded in writing. The northern Wei Dynasty's "Qi Yao Min Shu" contains: "The circle is not tired, but the circle is small; I'm not tired of mud after a summer vacation. Plant grass in spring and summer, graze at any time, release it in August and September without feeding, and leave all the dross until early winter and early spring. " It shows that people have paid attention to the important concepts such as combining grazing with house feeding, implementing different feeding methods according to seasons, and saving feed by grazing.

Since Sui and Tang Dynasties, with the continuous development of productive forces, raising pigs has become an important means for farmers to increase their income. There is a record in the newspaper "One Ruler and One Ruler": "There are people, animals and pigs in Tang Hongzhou who get rich because of the pig number Wujin." That is, pig farmers in ancient times. According to the New Tang Book Qilu Biography, there were thousands of official pig farms at that time, which shows the scale of pig industry in China in Tang Dynasty.

In the Song Dynasty, due to economic development, people put forward higher requirements for feeding and pork quality. Su Dongpo has traveled among the people, so he has tasted pork from all over the world. "When the fire is burning, there is little water. He was beautiful when he was in full swing. Get up and play a bowl every day. If you are full, you can't take care of it. " This is the truest portrayal of Dongpo pork practice. "Tokyo Dream" records the situation that Kaifeng, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, rushed into Nanxun Gate every day: "Only the pigs slaughtered by the people are allowed to enter Beijing from now on, with 10,000 pigs in each group from morning till night." Explain the demand for pork in urban development at that time and the development of pig industry in Song Dynasty.

The Yuan Dynasty ended the division between the North and the South, emphasizing that "farming and mulberry are the top priority", so the pig industry has also developed by leaps and bounds. Wang Zhen's "Agricultural Book" has created some valuable experience in pig-raising technology. The book mentioned: "There are many lakes with water in the south of the Yangtze River. You can feed them with algae and things near the water." Fast-growing aquatic plants are used to feed pigs, expanding the source of feed. The Travels of Marco Polo mentioned the scene of agriculture and animal husbandry in Quzhou, Zhejiang, China: "There is no Mianyang in this area, but there are many bulls, cows, buffaloes and goats, and the number of pigs is also very large." All these reflect that the Yuan Dynasty attached importance to raising pigs in agricultural areas, showing a prosperous scene.