The Liangzhu Culture(5300–4300 cal.a BP)has been regarded as the culmination of the Neolithic Age in the Yangtze Delta and as an archaic state.However,the reason behind the collapse of the Liangzhu Culture remains co...The Liangzhu Culture(5300–4300 cal.a BP)has been regarded as the culmination of the Neolithic Age in the Yangtze Delta and as an archaic state.However,the reason behind the collapse of the Liangzhu Culture remains controversial.Some scholars attributed it to social conflicts or foreign invasions,while others suggested that environmental deterioration,such as cold episodes,inundation and palaeo-typhoon events,disrupted the civilization.Notably,the yellowish silty sediments widely overlying the Liangzhu group sites have been presumed to be one of the vital clues to resolving these issues.The process and cause of their formation are key to understanding the decline in the Liangzhu Culture.In this study,two typical profiles composed of the Liangzhu cultural layer and yellowish silty sediments were collected in Liangzhu Ancient City.Multiple proxies,including pollen,phytoliths and diatoms,along with radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating and synthesized geochemical evidence from different sediments,were applied to reconstruct ecological and hydrological changes and discuss their linkage to cultural collapse.The regional ecology was typical freshwater wetlands during 4800–4400 cal.a BP,which facilitated rice farming and large-scale architectural engineering in Liangzhu Ancient City.Evidence from microfossils and dating of the yellowish silty sediments indicated that Liangzhu Ancient City was significantly affected by seawater after abandonment during 4300–3400 cal.a BP.Furthermore,geochemical evidence,including trace element and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions,suggested that the primary provenance of the yellowish silt was a mixture of sediments from the Qiantang River,East China Sea,Yangtze River and Yellow River,which had been transported to Liangzhu Ancient City by the Yellow Sea Coastal Current and a marine transgression.Therefore,based on evidence from archaeological sites and numerical simulation in the Yangtze Delta,it was supposed that the short-term accelerated relative sea-level rise at approximately 4400 cal.a BP caused a marine transgression around Taihu Lake,formed a large range of yellowish silty sediments,destroyed rice farming production,and ultimately led to the collapse of the Liangzhu Culture.展开更多
How various peoples crossed geographical barriers,were affected by climate change and human-made technologies comprise some of the most interesting quandaries in the history of cultures.This paper considers the Hu lin...How various peoples crossed geographical barriers,were affected by climate change and human-made technologies comprise some of the most interesting quandaries in the history of cultures.This paper considers the Hu line,which is a major boundary between population centres and different environments in China.The boundary became evident approximately 11,400 years ago;however,evidence suggests that people crossed through at 5200,3800,and 2800 cal a BP,facilitating the increases of the trans-Eurasian exchange.The timings of the crossings correspond to the weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon that triggers seesaw changes of precipitation in western and eastern China.This analysis demonstrates that climate change on a millennial-to-centennial scale can have a profound influence on population distribution with long-term consequences.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41830322,41902187)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB26000000)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2020M670444)。
文摘The Liangzhu Culture(5300–4300 cal.a BP)has been regarded as the culmination of the Neolithic Age in the Yangtze Delta and as an archaic state.However,the reason behind the collapse of the Liangzhu Culture remains controversial.Some scholars attributed it to social conflicts or foreign invasions,while others suggested that environmental deterioration,such as cold episodes,inundation and palaeo-typhoon events,disrupted the civilization.Notably,the yellowish silty sediments widely overlying the Liangzhu group sites have been presumed to be one of the vital clues to resolving these issues.The process and cause of their formation are key to understanding the decline in the Liangzhu Culture.In this study,two typical profiles composed of the Liangzhu cultural layer and yellowish silty sediments were collected in Liangzhu Ancient City.Multiple proxies,including pollen,phytoliths and diatoms,along with radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating and synthesized geochemical evidence from different sediments,were applied to reconstruct ecological and hydrological changes and discuss their linkage to cultural collapse.The regional ecology was typical freshwater wetlands during 4800–4400 cal.a BP,which facilitated rice farming and large-scale architectural engineering in Liangzhu Ancient City.Evidence from microfossils and dating of the yellowish silty sediments indicated that Liangzhu Ancient City was significantly affected by seawater after abandonment during 4300–3400 cal.a BP.Furthermore,geochemical evidence,including trace element and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions,suggested that the primary provenance of the yellowish silt was a mixture of sediments from the Qiantang River,East China Sea,Yangtze River and Yellow River,which had been transported to Liangzhu Ancient City by the Yellow Sea Coastal Current and a marine transgression.Therefore,based on evidence from archaeological sites and numerical simulation in the Yangtze Delta,it was supposed that the short-term accelerated relative sea-level rise at approximately 4400 cal.a BP caused a marine transgression around Taihu Lake,formed a large range of yellowish silty sediments,destroyed rice farming production,and ultimately led to the collapse of the Liangzhu Culture.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41888101,41830322)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB26000000)+1 种基金the National Key Research&Development Program of China(2020YFC1521605)Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences。
文摘How various peoples crossed geographical barriers,were affected by climate change and human-made technologies comprise some of the most interesting quandaries in the history of cultures.This paper considers the Hu line,which is a major boundary between population centres and different environments in China.The boundary became evident approximately 11,400 years ago;however,evidence suggests that people crossed through at 5200,3800,and 2800 cal a BP,facilitating the increases of the trans-Eurasian exchange.The timings of the crossings correspond to the weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon that triggers seesaw changes of precipitation in western and eastern China.This analysis demonstrates that climate change on a millennial-to-centennial scale can have a profound influence on population distribution with long-term consequences.
