On the Relationship between Holocene Geomorphic Evolution of Rivers and Prehistoric Settlements Distribution in the Songshan Mountain Region of China

Abstract

This paper deals with the study of Holocene geomorphic evolution of rivers around Songshan Mountain in relation to human frequentation in Prehistoric periods. The investigations were performed by means of an integration of GIS data processing; field surveys and particle size analysis. In 8000-3000 aBP; in the Songshan Mountain Region, large-scale river sedimentation occurred. This increased the elevation of river beds that were higher than today. After 3000 aBP; the upper reaches of the rivers experienced a down cut; while the lower reaches experienced continuing sedimentation. The data on the elevation of prehistoric settlements above the river levels were obtained from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). These data were corrected according to the evolutionary features of fluvial landforms in order to obtain synchronous elevations above river levels of prehistoric settlements. The relationship between sediment distribution and the Holocene geomorphic evolution was investigated through the statistical analysis of the elevation above the river levels. Outputs from our analyses enabled us to differentiate three evolutionary stages. During the first one, related to Peiligang culture (9000-7500 aBP), populations mainly settled on both hilly relief and high plateaus depending on their agriculture production modes. During the second stage, from Yangshao (7500-5000 aBP) to the Longshan period (5000-4000 aBP), settlements were mainly distributed on mountainous areas and hilly lands to avoid flooding and to develop agriculture. Finally, during the Xiashang culture (4000-3000 aBP), a large number of settlements migrated to the plain area to facilitate trade of goods and cultural exchanges.

Interdisciplinary study on dietary complexity in Central China during the Longshan Period (4.5–3.8 kaBP): New isotopic evidence from Wadian and Haojiatai, Henan Province

“…The widespread introduction of cattle and sheep reflects an overall trend of global connectivity across the Eastern Eurasia, while the coexistence of different human dietary groups on one site responds to the diverse cultural interactions and human migrations due to respective environmental and cultural contexts. The UYRB was a terraced river valley with relatively stable landforms in the Neolithic periods, which supported prosperous social development and an expanding population during the Yangshao and Longshan periods (Lu, 2017). Hence, extraneous cultures or populations, such as rice farmers from Southern China, were attracted to and integrated into the population at Wadian, which was an early urban settlement and regional center of the UYRB.…”

“…The Neolithic cultural sequence and chronology of the UYRB is also representative in the PMSA, covering most of the early-mid Holocene, and includes the Peiligang (8.5–7 kaBP), Yangshao (7–4.5 kaBP), and Longshan (4.5–3.8 kaBP) cultures. The population of the UYRB expanded rapidly during the Yangshao Period, benefiting from both the stabilization of landforms within the river basin and the warming climate during the Middle Holocene (Lu, 2017).…”

Holocene landscape evolution and its interaction with human activities in the southern piedmont of Taihang Mountain, Central China

“…Nonetheless, it remains ambiguous about the timing that humans start to massively exploit the piedmont zone and the factors that trigger the large-scale human activities in the piedmont zone. In fact, the residence place for humans is determined jointly by multiple factors, such as the natural environment, subsistence strategies, technical levels, and cultural characteristics ( Lu et al, 2017a ; Lu et al., 2019 ). In the prehistoric period associated with low productivity, the location of human settlement is considered to be more closely related to the natural environment ( Lu 2017b ; Lu et al., 2021 ).…”

“…In fact, the residence place for humans is determined jointly by multiple factors, such as the natural environment, subsistence strategies, technical levels, and cultural characteristics ( Lu et al, 2017a ; Lu et al., 2019 ). In the prehistoric period associated with low productivity, the location of human settlement is considered to be more closely related to the natural environment ( Lu 2017b ; Lu et al., 2021 ). Accordingly, reconstructing the early landscape provides an important approach to probing into the mechanism of the large-scale human activities in the piedmont zone.…”

The Influence of Environment on the Distribution Characteristics of Historical Buildings in the Songshan Region

“…Additionally, with the increasing attention paid by the state to the protection and utilization of cultural heritage, the value of historical buildings in the Songshan region has been re-recognized, and the depth and breadth of research have been gradually enhanced. Although a few scholars have studied the static distribution of historical buildings, the change of cities, and the distribution of prehistoric settlements in the narrow sense of Mount Song from the micro scale [12][13][14], there is a lack of an overall grasp on and systematic analysis of the spatial distribution and influencing factors of historical buildings in the Songshan region from the macro scale. This study has three main objectives: (1) to analyze the spatial and temporal distri bution characteristics of historical buildings in the Songshan region by using the spatia data; (2) to choose some representative influencing factors and analyze their influences on the spatio-temporal distributed characteristics of historical buildings in the Songshan re gion, with the combination of local characteristics of the Songshan region; and (3) to pro vide a scientific basis for the coordination of historical buildings' protection and regiona construction in the Songshan region.…”