Hostname: page-component-76d6cb85b7-92wsb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-07-14T11:38:52.007Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Middle Holocene coastal environment and the rise of the Liangzhu City complex on the Yangtze delta, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Yan Liu ,
Qianli Sun ,
Ian Thomas ,
Li Zhang ,
Brian Finlayson ,
Weiguo Zhang ,
Jing Chen  and
Zhongyuan Chen
Yan Liu
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai 200062, China State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Qianli Sun*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai 200062, China
Ian Thomas
Affiliation:
School of Geography, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
Li Zhang
Affiliation:
Geography Information Science Key Laboratory, Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
Brian Finlayson
Affiliation:
School of Geography, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
Weiguo Zhang
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai 200062, China
Jing Chen
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai 200062, China
Zhongyuan Chen
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai 200062, China
*
* Corresponding author at: State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China. Fax: + 86 21 62546441. Email Address:qlsun@sklec.ecnu.edu.cn
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The large prehistoric city of Liangzhu and its associated earthen dike emerged on the Yangtze delta-coast after two millennia of occupation in this area by scattered communities. Details of its development have been widely discussed in the literature. Our results reveal that the city was selectively built at the head of an embayment backed by hills, with close access to food, freshwater and timber, and with protection from coastal hazards. Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating shows that it was built around 4.8–4.5 ka, and the earthen dike was constructed a little later at ~ 4.1 ka. During this time, saltwater wetlands were changing to freshwater in response to rapid coastal progradation as the postglacial sea-level rise stabilized. This facilitated rice farming and furthered the development of the city with elaborate city planning. The younger large-scale earthen dike and artificial ponds possibly suggest increasing demand for flood mitigation and irrigation.

Keywords

Liangzhu cultureNeolithicPrehistoric urbanRice farmingWater regulationSea levelYangtze delta

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 84 , Issue 3 , November 2015 , pp. 326 - 334
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Anderson, A., Gagan, M., and Shulmeister, J. Mid Holocene cultural dynamics and climatic change in the western Pacific. Anderson, D.G., Maasch, K.A., and Sandweiss, D.H. Climate Change and Cultural Dynamics: A Global Perspective on Mid-Holocene Transition. (2007). Academic Press, London. 265–296.Google Scholar
Bitan, A., and Rehamimoff, A. Bet She'an master plan—climatic rehabilitation of an ancient historic city. Energy and Buildings 15, (1991). 23–33.Google Scholar
Black, M.P., and Mooney, S.D. Holocene fire history from the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage area, New South Wales, Australia: the climate, humans and fire nexus. Regional Environmental Change 6, 1–2 (2006). 41–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chang, K.C. The Archaeology of Ancient China. (1986). Yale University Press, New Haven.Google Scholar
Crawford, G.W., and Shen, C. The origins of rice agriculture: recent progress in East Asia. Antiquity 72, (1998). 858–866.Google Scholar
Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute of Zhejiang Province, Hemudu-Report on the Excavation of the Neolithic Settlement Site. (2003). Cultural Relic Publishing House, Beijing. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute of Zhejiang Province, Kuahuqiao. (2004). Cultural Relic Publishing House, Beijing. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute of Zhejiang Province, Reports of the Group Site at Liangzhu, Volume III. (2005). Cultural Relic Publishing House, Beijing. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Dodson, J.R., Taylor, D., Ono, Y., and Wang, P. Climate, human, and natural systems of the PEP II transect. Quaternary International 118, (2004). 3–12.Google Scholar
Fuller, D.Q., Qin, L., Zheng, Y., Zhao, Z., Chen, X., Hosoya, L.A., and Sun, G.P. The domestication process and domestication rate in rice: spikelet bases from the Lower Yangtze. Science 323, (2009). 1607–1610.Google Scholar
Innes, J.B., Zong, Y., Chen, Z., Chen, C., Wang, Z., and Wang, H. Environmental history, palaeoecology and human activity at the early Neolithic forager/cultivator site at Kuahuqiao, Hangzhou, eastern China. Quaternary Science Reviews 28, 23 (2009). 2277–2294.Google Scholar
Itzstein-Davey, F., Taylor, D., Dodson, J., Atahan, P., and Zheng, H. Wild and domesticated forms of rice (Oryza sp.) in early agriculture at Qingpu, lower Yangtze, China: evidence from phytoliths. Journal of Archaeological Science 34, (2007). 2101–2108.Google Scholar
Lin, C.M. Recognition of the last glaciation incised valley and its significance in biogenic gas prospection: follow the example of the Qiantang River incised valley. Geology of Zhejiang 12, (1996). 35–41. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Lin, C.M., Zhuo, H.C., and Gao, S. Sedimentary facies and evolution in the Qiantang River incised valley, eastern China. Marine Geology 219, (2005). 235–259.Google Scholar
Liu, L. The Chinese Neolithic: Trajectories to Early State. (2005). Cambridge University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Liu, B. Excavation reports (2006–2007) of ancient Liangzhu city in Yuhang district, Hangzhou. Archaeology 7, (2008). 3–10. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Liu, L., and Chen, X.C. The Archaeology of China: From the Late Paleolithic to the Early Bronze Age. (2012). Cambridge University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Liu, B., and Wang, N.Y. Findings of archaeological survey of prehistoric city at Liangzhu during 2005–2013. Southeast Culture 2, (2014). 31–38. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Lu, Y.C., Wang, X.L., and Wintle, A.G. A new chronology for dust accumulation in the last 130,000 yr for the Chinese Loess Plateau. Quaternary Research 67, (2007). 152–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Messerli, B., Grosjean, M., Hofer, T., Nunez, L., and Pfister, C. From nature-dominated to human-dominated environmental changes. Quaternary Science Reviews 19, (2000). 459–479.Google Scholar
Osborne, J.F. Sovereignty and territoriality in the city–state: a case study from the Amuq Valley, Turkey. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 32, (2013). 774–790.Google Scholar
Qin, L. The Liangzhu culture. Underhill, Anne P. A Companion to Chinese Archaeology. (2013). John Wiley & Sons, 978-1-118-32572-8 574–596.Google Scholar
Qin, J., Taylor, D., Atahan, P., Zhang, X., Wu, G., Dodson, J., Zheng, H.B., and Itzstein-Davey, F. Neolithic agriculture, freshwater resources and rapid environmental changes on the lower Yangtze, China. Quaternary Research 75, (2011). 55–65.Google Scholar
Reimer, P.J., Bard, E., Bayliss, A., Beck, J.W., Blackwell, P.G., Bronk, R.C., Buck, C.E., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., Friedrich, M., Grootes, P.M., Guilderson, T.P., Haflidason, H., Hajdas, I., Hatt, C., Heaton, T.J., Hogg, A.G., Hughen, K.A., Kaiser, K.F., Kromer, B., Manning, S.W., Niu, M., Reimer, R.W., Richards, D.A., Scott, E.M., Southon, J.R., Turney, C.S.M., and van der-Plicht, J. IntCal13 and Marine13 radiocarbon age calibration curves 0–50,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon 55, (2013). 1869–1887.Google Scholar
Shanghai Municipal Commission for the Preservation of Ancient Monuments, Maqiao: Report on Excavation between 1993 and 1997. (2002). Shanghai Fine Arts Publisher, Shanghai. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Shi, C.X., Mo, D.W., Li, C.H., Liu, B., Mao, L.J., and Li, M.L. The relationship between environmental evolution and human activities in Liangzhu Sites Group, Zhejiang Province, China. Earthen Science Frontiers 18, (2011). 347–356. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Society for Chinese Archaeology, Chinese Archaeology Yearbook 2008. (2008). Wenwu Press, Beijing. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Southon, J., Kashgarian, M., Fontugne, M., Metivier, B., and Yim, W.W. Marine reservoir corrections for the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. Radiocarbon 44, (2002). 167–180.Google Scholar
Stanley, D.J., and Chen, Z. Neolithic settlement distributions as a function of sea level-controlled topography in the Yangtze delta, China. Geology 24, 12 (1996). 1083–1086.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M., and Reimer, P.J. Extended 14C data base and revised CALIB 3.0 14C age calibration program. Radiocarbon 35, (1993). 215–230.Google Scholar
Wang, P.X. Marine Micropaleontology. (1981). Ocean Press, Beijing. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Wang, N.Y., and Liu, B. Archaeological survey of the water conservancy system of prehistoric city at Liangzhu, Hangzhou. Archaeology 1, (2015). 3–13.Google Scholar
Wang, F.X., Qian, N.F., Zhang, Y.L., and Yang, H.Q. Pollen Flora of China. (1995). Science Press, Beijing. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Wang, Y.J., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., He, Y.Q., Kong, X.G., An, Z.S., Wu, J.Y., Kelly, M.J., Dykoski, C.A., and Li, X.D. The Holocene Asian monsoon: links to solar changes and North Atlantic climate. Science 308, (2005). 854–886.Google Scholar
Yan, Q.S., and Shao, X.S. Evolution of shorelines along the north bank of Hangzhou Bay during the late stage of the Holocene transgression. Science in China. Series B 32, (1989). 347–360.Google Scholar
Yang, H.R., and Xie, Z.R. Sea-level changes along the east coast of China over the last 20000 years. Oceanologia et Limologia Sinica 15, (1984). 1–13. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Yang, S., Zheng, Z., Huang, K., Zong, Y., Wang, J., Xu, Q., Rolett, B.V., and Li, J. Modern pollen assemblages from cultivated rice fields and rice pollen morphology: application to a study of ancient land use and agriculture in the Pearl River Delta, China. The Holocene 22, (2012). 1393–1404.Google Scholar
Yue, Y.Z. Determination of 14C dating of Zhejiang littoral area and the change of sea level since the Holocene. Donghai Marine Science 6, (1988). 16–21. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Zhang, L., Chen, Z.Y., Liu, Y., and Wu, J.P. The rise of the prehistoric Liangzhu city and large-scale water conservancy project on the Yangtze delta plain and its geo-environmental implications. Science China Earth Science 44, 1 (2014). 1–10. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Zhang, X., Lin, C.M., Dalrymple, R.W., Gao, S., and Li, Y.L. Facies architecture and depositional model of a macrotidal incised-valley succession (Qiantang River estuary, eastern China), and differences from other macrotidal systems. Geological Society of America Bulletin 126, (2014). 499–522.Google Scholar
Zhejiang Provincial Bureau of Relics, Recent progress on the excavation of the Liangzhu City. (2011). http://www.zjww.gov.cn/news/2011-03-18/293671602_1.shtml (in Chinese) Google Scholar
Zheng, C.G. Environmental Archaeology on the Temporal–Spatial Distribution of Culture Sites in Taihu Lake Area During 7–4 ka BP. (2005). Nanjing University, Doctoral Thesis.Google Scholar
Zheng, Y., Sun, G.P., and Chen, X.G. Response of rice cultivation to fluctuating sea level during the Mid-Holocene. Chinese Science Bulletin 57, 4 (2012). 370–378.Google Scholar
Zhu, J.K. The Lost Capital of Ancient Kingdom: Introduction to the Liangzhu Cultural Sites. (2009). Xileng Press, Hangzhou. (in Chinese)Google Scholar
Zong, Y., Chen, Z., Innes, J.B., Chen, C., Wang, Z., and Wang, H. Fire and flood management of coastal swamp enabled first rice paddy cultivation in east China. Nature 449, (2007). 459–462.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zong, Y.Q., Innes, J.B., Wang, Z.H., and Chen, Z. Mid-Holocene coastal hydrology and salinity changes in the east Taihu area of the lower Yangtze wetlands, China. Quaternary Research 76, (2011). 69–82.Google Scholar