Archaeological sites in China during the Neolithic and Bronze Age

Hosner, Dominic; Wagner, Mayke; Tarasov, Pavel E.; Leipe, Christian

doi:10.1594/pangaea.860072

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This enables comparison between our geoarchaeological results in Neihuang County and the presence of other archaeological sites in the region. The Atlas data are available for download at PANGEA (Hosner et al, 2016a).…”

Section: Spatial Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene landscape evolution in northern Henan Province and its implications for archaeological surveys

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The heartlands of many of the world's civilizations are situated within alluvial plains, where thick alluvial sediments obscure much of the archaeological record. However, the use of alluvial geoarchaeology remains patchy, particularly in the world's largest alluvial basins. We present results from our geoarchaeological survey at Neihuang County, Henan Province, China, as an example for alluvial geoarchaeological research in the North China Plain and to develop a generalized framework for landscape evolution in the area during the Holocene. We reconstruct the alluvial history of the area around Neihuang County by synthesizing stratigraphic data from seven outcrops into distinct depositional units. Our findings suggest that much of the archaeological record in the North China Plain is buried by meters of sediment or eroded away by the ancient channels of the Yellow River and other tributary streams. Therefore, the presence of buried archaeological sites and river scour in recorded outcrops suggests that the nonsystematic archaeological surveys that are commonly used to interpret cultural changes are not accurate reflections of archaeological site distributions. From the results of this case study, we recommend that archaeologists and paleoclimatologists should exercise more caution when using settlement distribution data gathered through nonsystematic pedestrian surveys to make inferences about ancient processes of cultural change or social dynamics in the North China Plain.

show abstract

Section: Spatial Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene landscape evolution in northern Henan Province and its implications for archaeological surveys

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Spatiotemporal distribution patterns of archaeological sites in China during the Neolithic and Bronze Age: An overview

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A total of 51,074 archaeological sites from the early Neolithic to the early Iron Age (c. 8000-500 BC), with a spatial extent covering most regions of China (c. 73-131°E and c. 20-53°N), were analysed over space and time in this study. Site maps of 25 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, published in the series 'Atlas of Chinese Cultural Relics', were used to extract, digitalise and correlate its archaeological data. The data were, in turn, entered into a database using a self-developed mapping software that makes the data, in a dynamic way, analysable as a contribution to various scientific questions, such as population growth and migrations, spread of agriculture and changes in subsistence strategies. The results clearly show asynchronous patterns of changes between the northern and southern parts of China (i.e. north and south of the Yangtze River, respectively) but also within these macro-regions. In the northern part of China (i.e. along the Yellow River and its tributaries and in the Xiliao River basin), the first noticeable increase in the concentration of Neolithic sites occurred between c. 5000 and 4000 BC; however, highest site concentrations were reached between c. 2000 and 500 BC. Our analysis shows a radical northeastern shift of high site-density clusters (over 50 sites per 100 × 100 km grid cell) from the Wei and middle/lower Yellow Rivers to the Liao River system sometime between 2350 BC and 1750 BC. This shift is hypothetically discussed in the context of the incorporation of West Asian domesticated animals and plants into the existing northern Chinese agricultural system. In the southern part of China, archaeological sites do not show a noticeable increase in the absolute number of sites until after c. 1500 BC, reaching a maximum around 1000 BC.

show abstract

Archaeological sites in China during the Neolithic and Bronze Age

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Holocene landscape evolution in northern Henan Province and its implications for archaeological surveys

Holocene landscape evolution in northern Henan Province and its implications for archaeological surveys

Spatiotemporal distribution patterns of archaeological sites in China during the Neolithic and Bronze Age: An overview

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About