Social development and living environment changes in the Northeast Tibetan Plateau and contiguous regions during the late prehistoric period

The relationship between the evolution of human societies and their living environments has been discussed intensively in recent decades.It is important to understand the patterns and mechanisms of human–environment interaction and evolution in order to cope with rapidly changing environments in the modern world.We reviewed the results of dating,archaeobotanical,and zooarchaeological studies from 139 prehistoric sites in the Northeast Tibetan Plateau(NETP)and contiguous regions(NETP-CR:i.e.,the Hexi Corridor and western margin of the Chinese Loess Plateau)and compared them with paleoenvironmental records to study variations in spatiotemporal patterns of social development in the area and their relationships with climate and vegetation changes.Our results show that hunter-gatherer groups occupied vast areas of the NETP at low intensities during^15,000–5500 BP(years before present).This was directly related to forest cover and climate change.An increase in temperature and precipitation turnover of vegetation from desert steppe to alpine meadow/subalpine shrub,and recovery of animal population on the Tibetan Plateau created more food resources and space for hunter-gatherers.Millet farmers settled extensively below 2500 m a.s.l.(meters above sea level)in the NETP-CR between^5500 and 3600 BP,and might have coexisted with hunting groups above 2500 m a.s.l.via subsistence exchange.The distribution of human settlements during that period was affected by climate change,with the relatively warm and wet climate promoting the expansion of millet agriculture to the NETP-CR during 5500–4500 BP,while climate deterioration caused humans to retreat to lower altitudes.During 3600–2200 BP,a range of livelihoods emerged in different regions of the NETPCR.This was promoted by early trans-Eurasian exchange and the development of an agro-pastoral economy that utilized cold-tolerant crops and livestock.This eventually promoted the expansion of permanent human settlements to high-altitude areas in the NETP.This study found that human societies adopted various strategies to adapt to the changing living environment throughout late prehistoric times in the NETP-CR.The results provide a long-term perspective on the trajectory of regional socio-environmental co-evolution.

Detecting anthropogenic impact on forest succession from the perspective of wood exploitation on the northeast Tibetan Plateau during the late prehistoric period

Human activities are usually considered to have had impacts on forest degradation and/or changes of forest composition in the past.The Tibetan Plateau,an environmentally sensitive area,has witnessed a high intensity of human activities since the late Neolithic,but the evidence is still incomplete concerning how human activities affected the environment,especially vegetation changes.This may result,in part,from the fact that research on prehistoric wood utilization by humans in the northeast Tibetan Plateau(NETP)is scarce,especially from the perspective of charcoal analysis,which is an archaeological index directly related to human activities.To fill this gap,we report new data here concerning charcoal analysis from 24 archaeological sites dated 5200–2300 a BP in the NETP,where this period saw remarkable environmental and social changes.By coupling the results with published paleoenvironment records(especially pollen),we aim to explore the utilization of wood and its spatial-temporal changes,as well as the anthropogenic impacts on past forest dynamics in the NETP.The results suggest that the wood resources collected by humans were mainly needleleaf trees(Picea L.and Pinus L.),broadleaved trees(Populus L.,Salix L.,and Betula)as well as shrubs(Hippophae L.and Tamarix L.),and that these were distributed around the human habitation areas.There was a clear spatial difference in the woody assemblage collected by humans in the period 3600–2300 a BP.This was likely related to the diversity of natural environments in local areas,but there was an abnormal spatial pattern of forest composition with broadleaved trees dominant above 2500 masl caused not by climate change,but by the rapid increase of human settlement and wood collection in high altitude areas of the NETP since 3600 a BP.

The relative stability of prehistorical geographic environment in China's tropics on the basis of archaeology

According to archaeological data from about sixty samples the relative stability of physical and human geographical environment in the tropical zone of China is discussed in this paper. Because of the superior natural environment, sufficient food resources and a sparse population resulting in the absence of social requirement to transform the productive forces, the advancement of economy and society was stagnated during prehistorical period in China's tropics. Compared with northern China, the appearance of ground stone tool stagnated about 3,000 years, the beginning of Bronze Age, about 1,000 years, and the agriculture, 2,500-3,000 years. The no ceramics age continued till the early Neolithic Age and the appearance of colour or white ceramics was 2,000 years later than that in northern China. The life form of migration to gather and to hunt continued till the middle Neolithic Age, and the fixed settlement based on agriculture 1,000-2,000 years stagnated. The clan commune just appeared at the end of the Neolithic Age which was 2,000-3,000 years later than that in northern China.

Environmental and technological effects on ancient social evolution at different spatial scales

The rise and fall of ancient cultures and civilizations is a hotly debated topic that has generated disagreements and disputes. In this paper we summarize some case studies on the abandonment of ancient sites, the prosperity and collapse of ancient cultures, and demographic changes, as well as the influence of environment and technology during the prehistoric and historic periods. We then suggest that the dominant influencing factors for the evolution of ancient societies vary by spatial scale.At the local scale, sudden disasters are critical factors leading to the destruction and abandonment of large settlements. On a regional scale, climatic variations(e.g., droughts or cold events lasting for decades or centuries) are important factors that induce the collapse of ancient civilizations and mass migrations, while an enduring and stable optimal climate facilitated the prosperity of ancient civilizations. On a global scale, major technological innovations and their dispersion lasting for centuries and even millennia are major catalysts for population growth and social development. Lastly, we illustrate a possible mechanism under which environmental and technological factors played a critical role in ancient human survival and social evolution on different spatial scales.