Holocene Environmental Archaeology of the Yangtze River Valley in China: A Review

Abstract

The Yangtze River Valley is an important economic region and one of the cradles of human civilization. It is also the site of frequent floods, droughts, and other natural disasters. Conducting Holocene environmental archaeology research in this region is of great importance when studying the evolution of the relationship between humans and the environment and the interactive effects humans had on the environment from 10.0 to 3.0 ka BP, for which no written records exist. This review provides a comprehensive summary of materials that have been published over the past several decades concerning Holocene environmental archaeology in the Yangtze River Valley, to further understand large-scale regional Holocene environmental and cultural interaction within this area. The results show that: 1) in recent years, Holocene envi-ronmental archaeology research in the Yangtze River Valley has primarily taken paleoflood and sea-level change stratigraphical events to be the foundational threads for study. This began with research on the spatiotemporal distribution of archaeological sites, typical archaeological site stratigraphy, and research on background features concerning environmental evolution recorded by the regional natural sedimentary strata. 2) Significant progress has been made at the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, indicating that Holocene environmental ar-chaeology research along the Yangtze River Valley is deepening and broadening. 3) Dramatic changes to Neolithic cultures that occurred approximately 4.0 ka BP were influenced by climate change and associated consequences, although the impacts differed on the various Neolithic cultures in the Yangtze River Valley. Local topography, regional climate, and varying survival strategies may have contributed to these differences. 4) Newly-published research pays particular attention to the sedimentary records of the past with resolutions as high as one year to several months, the degree to which humans altered the quality of their natural environment, and human adjustments to settlement and subsistence practices during periods of Holocene climate change. The application of technologies such as remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and molecular biological analysis are also gradually being extended into the research field of Holocene environmental archaeology in the Yangtze River Valley.

Collapse of the Liangzhu and other Neolithic cultures in the lower Yangtze region in response to climate change

“…S9) ( 12 , 34 ). The proxy-inferred multicentennial drier conditions during the late Liangzhu cultural period support archeological findings such as a lower absolute altitude of wells for drinking water in the Liangzhu relics ( 42 , 43 ) and significant contractions in lake areas and depths (text S1.2) ( 6 ). An increase in charcoal frequency and pollen evidence of substantial deforestation in the YRD indicate that human activities were still high during the late Liangzhu period ( 6 ).…”

History of Mid- and Late Holocene Palaeofloods in the Yangtze Coastal Lowlands, East China: Evaluation of Non-Pollen Palynomorph Evidence, Review and Synthesis

“…It is clear that hydrology was the dominant environmental factor in the Taihu lowlands since the creation and development of the Yangtze delta, and while the wetland environments would have been attractive to human occupation and subsistence with many food and other resources, at times of hydrological instability a human presence amongst the floodplain wetlands might not have been viable. Much of the evidence for past fluvial activity in the Yangtze valley has therefore been derived from studies in environmental archaeology at ancient cultural sites and the relative hydrological stability (site formation and stable wetlands) and instability (river flooding and site abandonment) that occurred [52,136,143,258,369,391,[407][408][409][410].…”

On the Exploration of Social Development during a Historical Period in the Eastern Tienshan Mountains via Archaeological and Geopolitical Perspectives

“…The major factors influencing social evolution vary across periods of human evolution. Climate change might have significantly influenced human evolution and led to mass migration during the Paleolithic era [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. The origination, development, and diffusion of agriculture resulted in rapid population increases and social transitions in different corners of the Old World during the Neolithic period [8][9][10][11][12][13], while trans-Eurasian exchange promoted the emergence of ancient civilizations during the Bronze Age [14][15][16][17][18].…”