8500 a BP以来长江中游平原地区古文化遗址分布的演变

Distribution Patterns of the Ancient Cultural Sites in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River since 8500 a BP

本研究建立了8500 a BP以来长江中游平原地区,从新石器时期至明清时期7534个古文化遗址的GIS数据库,利用ArcGIS软件,从环境考古学的角度,对不同时期古文化遗址分布的地貌类型、海拔高程、坡度特征进行了系统分析。研究结果显示,不同时代的文化遗址的空间分布特征存在显著差别:1)新石器文化遗址主要分布在平原边缘的山前台地—岗地和高冲积平原等海拔高程适中的地区,海拔高程较低的平原中心区与海拔较高的山地则分布很少;2)西周以后,文化遗址分布高程呈现下降趋势,从山前台地—岗地、高冲积平原向平缓的低冲积平原转移;秦汉至明清时期,文化遗址则主要分布在海拔高程更低、坡度平缓的低冲积平原和湖积—冲积平原;3)不同时期的文化遗址空间分布模式,反映了不同生产力水平下人类活动对自然环境变化的响应特点。

With the aid of GIS technology,the authors made a study on man-land relationship in the perspective of environmental archaeology. The GIS database was set up based on 7534 spatial data of ancient cultural sites in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River since 8500 a BP. The ArcGIS software was employed for the analysis of the data to reveal the spatial distribution patterns of different cultural sites in different time periods. Results showed that the natural factors,such as topography,altitude,and slope,etc.,had very close relationships with the distribution patterns of the ancient cultural sites. The Neolithic sites were mainly distributed on the loess terra in the piedmont hills and high alluvial plains,where the altitude was higher and the slope varied. During the Western Zhou Dynasty,the main distribution of the cultural sites shifted from the loess terra to the alluvial plain with lower altitude and gentler slope. From the Qin Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty,the cultural sites were mainly located in the lowest alluvial plain and the lake-deposit plain. During the past 8000 years the average altitude of the different cultural sites moved down about 12 m.