Holocene Climate Evolution and Neolithic Cultural Evolution Recorded in the Loess Profile in Central Shandong Province, China

Abstract

The ZQSC loess-paleosol profile was selected to investigate the environmental evolution and its correlation with the development of the Neolithic culture since Holocene in central Shandong Province of China. In the study, grain size, chromaticity, and magnetic parameters were considered as reliable proxies in reconstructing paleoclimate. Besides, the sedimentary age was obtained by 14 C dating in Beta laboratory in 2017. The result indicated that the Holocene climate evolution can be divided into three stages: 1) The early Holocene (about 11.5-8.5 ka B.P.). In this period, the climate conditions of the late Last Glaciation were extended, characterized by a dry and cold climate. 2) The middle Holocene (about 8.5-3 ka B.P.). This stage is climatically suitable with the best condition of warmth and humidity. Besides, small fluctuations also existed, in the period of the 4.62-3.784 ka B.P., the climate event was occurred. Besides, numerous pottery shards were discovered in paleosol, corresponding to the occurrence of the transition from the prosperous Longshan culture to the sluggish YueShi culture, potentially related to the sudden temperature drop and the ancient flood event.3) The late Holocene (about 3.0 ka B.P.-present). The climate condition of this stage was deteriorating steadily. In this period, the 2.948 ka B.P. climate event and buried pottery revealed a great correspondence with the dry and cold events of the Middle Western Zhou Dynasty.

Centralization or decentralization? A spatial analysis of archaeological sites in northern China during the 4.2 ka BP event

“…The shifting channels of the lower reaches of the Yellow River have been of significant threat to the livelihood and civilizational development of ancient Chinese. Meanwhile, the coastline of North China was much closer to the inland area four millennia ago due to the megathermal effect (Wang K et al, 2022; also see the map with ancient coastline/river courses given as follows), that is why large amounts of sites are distributed in the south of the ancient Jishui River and encircle the Shandong Hills with higher altitude, where the Longshan culture flourished throughout the late Neolithic (Han et al, 2021;. The termination of such a mild climate at circa 4.2 ka BP was preserved by multi-proxy geological records via pollen, loess-paleosol, marine sediment, etc., all of which indicate an abrupt cooling and aridification trend that incurs widespread environmental deterioration/degradation in both ends of northern China (An et al, 2005;Chen and Wang, 2012;Han et al, 2021;Wang K et al, 2022).…”