The Dry-Cold Climate of the Qijia Archeological Civilization in Chankou of the Loess Plateau along the Silk Road Since the Neolithic Period

Objective Large numbers of archeological relics from the Neolithic period are widely distributed in all tributaries of the Yellow River. The early humans tended to reside along the river valleys, and developed small but characteristically decentralized ancient valley culture. It is universally acknowledged that the agriculture exchange between China and western countries and the moderate

Geomorphic signatures and active tectonics in western Saurashtra,Gujarat,India

Active tectonics in an area includes ongoing or recent geologic events.This paper investigates the tectonic influence on the subsidence,uplift and tilt of western Saurashtra through morphotectonic analysis of ten watersheds along with characteristics of relief and drainage orientation.Watersheds 7-9 to the north(N)are tectonically active,which can be linked with the North Kathiawar Fault System(NKFS)and followed by watersheds 6,10,1,4 and 5.Stream-length gradient index and sinuosity index indicate the effect of tectonic events along the master streams in watersheds 6-9.Higher R^(2)values of the linear curve fit for watershed 7 indicate its master stream is much more tectonically active than the others.The R^(2)curve fitting model and earthquake magnitude/depth analysis confirm the region to be active.The reactivation of the NKFS most likely led to the vertical movement of western Saurashtra.

Archeological crop marks identified from Cosmo-SkyMed time series: the case of Han-Wei capital city, Luoyang, China

The development of spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar(SAR)technology declares that the golden era of SAR remote sensing in archeology is approaching;however,nowadays its methodology framework is still lacking due to the inadequate case studies validated by ground-truths.In this study,we investigated the crop marks using multi-temporal Cosmo-SkyMed data acquired in 2013 by applying a twostep decision-tree classifier in conjunction with a spatial analysis in an area of archeological interest nearby the archeological site of Han-Wei capital city(1900–1500 BP),in Luoyang,China.The time-series backscattering anomalies related to the wheat growth cycle were identified and then further validated in two zones by geophysical investigations(Ground Penetration Radar and electrical measurements)and in a third zone by archeological excavations made after the SAR data acquisition.This study provides a new approach for the relic detection,shallowly buried and covered by the crop vegetation,by temporal crop marks on spaceborne SAR images.We also emphasize the necessity to establish a satellite-to-ground methodology framework for the promotion of remote-sensing technology in archeology.

Archeological Discoveries and Studies on Ancient Chinese Civi-lization

Since the l 920s and 30s.scientificallydirected archeological excavations

A Preliminary Study of Holocene Climate Change and Human Adaptation in the Horqin Region

Human activity during the Holocene in the Horqin region, northeastern China, has been widely documented. As an important proxy record of human activity, black carbon（BC） in sediments has been linked to climate change and human adaptation. A loess-paleosol section located in south Horqin was chosen for this study. Holocene climate change and human adaptation to the environment were discussed by analyzing BC, organic carbon（OC） and other proxies. The conclusions included：（1） before 3900 cal BP, human activity was closely related to the natural environment and cultural development was dominated by climate change. For example, the rapid decline of the agrarian Hongshan culture was caused by a slight decrease in temperature at ~5000 cal BP;（2） during 3900-3200 cal BP, the heavy dependence of human societies on nature gradually lessened and the ability of those human societies to adapt to the environment was enhanced. However, the farming-dominated Lower Xiajiadian culture was nonetheless replaced by the pastoralist Upper Xiajiadian culture due to an extremely cooling event at ~3200 cal BP;（3） during the late Holocene period, the marked influence of climate change on human activity might have lessened as a result of a clear improvement in human labor skills. After this, human living styles were influenced by cultural developments rather than climate change because humans had mastered more powerful means of productivity.

Karst caves and hydrology between geodesy and archeology:Field trip notes

The Geodynamics-Earth-Tides-meeting-2016 was held in the Karst, the origin of geologic karst- formation. Surface-rivers are absent, and water flows in channels over distances of 30 km, forming subsurface caves. Geodetic observations allow detecting caves and sense hydrologic flow. The Karst water had been recognized before Romans as provision for man and livestock. Proto-historic remains near the mouth of the underground river suggest the water outpouring from the Karst was associated with deities to be worshiped. Here the geodetic and cultural aspects of the Karst are summarized, illustrating the field trip that had been offered to the participants.

Volcanology and Archaeology for Better Understanding the History of Campi Flegrei: Post-NYT Bradyseisms and More Rapid Deformation

The Campi Flegrei volcanic district includes insular (Ischia and Procida Islands) and peninsular volcanic activity (Campi Flegrei volcanic field) with the link to older activity till Ponza Island. The history of this area has been studied in detail since the eruption of the Campanian Ignimbrite (CI, age: 39 ky BP, volume: 200 - 300 km3), which makes this one of the most powerful eruptions in Europe. In the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT: age: 15.0 ky BP, volume: 50 km3), another powerful eruption occurred. Activity younger than the NYT can be subdivided in three epochs which include 70 recognized ephemeral eruptions. The volume of these individual eruptions is between 0.4 and 1 km3 (DRE). Probably, the long-lasting magma reservoirs (i.e., CI and NYT) represent eruptions that are fed by deep magma reservoirs. In deep reservoirs (>10 km), magmas stagnate, differentiate and are probably modified by crustal components (Hercynian basement). The long-lasting reservoirs are also the ones that feed the ephemeral shallow magmatic system (2 - 5 km) that gave rise to the post-caldera magmatic epochs. However, the magmas of the post-caldera epochs are isotopically heterogeneous and made by several components (i.e., least evolved (as an example the Minopoli eruption, 9500 y BP), CI, and NYT components). Mixing between ephemeral shallow reservoirs occurs. Mixing of long lasting reservoirs also occurs;and also during explosive eruptions. The concentration of earthquakes and the deformation history suggest that Campi Flegrei could erupt again with an ephemeral eruption, especially if the uplift will reach 5 - 6 m like Monte Nuovo eruption, given existing uplift of 1970-72 and 1983-84.

A Tentative Review of the Studies on the Environmental History of Ancient China

The existing research findings of our environmental history fail to attach due importance to the environmental history of ancient China. The studies of China's environmental history should extend the time scope further to more ancient times and raise interdisciplinary research awareness. Such studies can help us trace our sources of culture and ecology, and better understand the current world and humanity itself. Studies on the environmental history of ancient China also need to be equipped with corresponding research concepts, orientation and approaches.

Relationship between archaeological sites distribution and environment from 1.15 Ma BP to 278 BC in Hubei Province

A total of 1362 archaeological sites from the Paleolithic Age to the Warring States time in Hubei Province increase gradually from west to east and from high land to low land.The number of Paleolithic sites with altitude of 50-500 m account for 78% of the whole,while 71%-95% of sites from the Neolithic Age to the Warring States time mainly distribute at the areas of 0-200 m.The temporal-spatial distribution of archeological sites in this area is affected by two factors.For one thing,the human beings of every period need to choose the first or the second terrace as living sites which are near water source and are easy to withstand flood.Additionally,affecting by the regional tectonic uplift since the Holocene,down cutting of rivers can form new river valley,and lateral erosion and accumulation of river in stable time of tectonic movement can result in increasing of many new terraces.So,the human beings migrated to adapt to the change of terrace location,leading to the sites increase gradually in the lower areas of the central and eastern parts of this province.For other things,the temporal-spatial distribution of archeological sites in this area is affected by the climate condition.The Paleolithic sites mostly distribute in the Hanshui River Valley in northeastern Shiyan,southeast of Jinzhou and east of Jinmen,which is because rivers distributed in higher areas in this period.During the Chengbeixi Culture period,the sites are rare in the quondam Paleolithic sites distribution area,but increase obviously along the Yangtze River near the southwest Yichang.The spore-pollen record of Dajiuhu Basin indicates that only 23 Chengbeixi cultural sites may be related to more precipitation and flood during the Holocene wet and hot period.The Daxi Culture,Qujialing Culture and Shijiahe Culture are corresponding to middle and top of the Dajiuhu spore-pollen Zone Ⅳ,during which the climate is in order as a whole and is propitious to agricultural development.In the Qujialing Culture period,32 of original 34 Daxi cultural sites disappeared,while 90 sites increase abruptly in the higher highlands in the north of Xiangfan-Jinmen-Xiaogan,which may respect with enlarging of water areas.The Chu Culture period is corresponding to Dajiuhu spore-pollen Zone V,which is in warm and dry Holocene phase,but it seems that the climate condition is still propitious to agricultural cultivation and the number of archeological sites increase heavily to 593.In addition,there are the least archaeological sites in the lake areas of southeast Hubei Province because of low-lying topography with altitude of 0-50 m and the severest flood.

Becoming a Ruin： Breaking into the First Emperor＇s Necropolis

This article focuses on representations of Emperor Qin Shihuang＇s necropolis, an example of the tomb as a special form of landscape in Chinese literature and visual culture. Unlike remnants of other historic structures, the tomb is built to be an enclosed space and is contained in its own system of time. If a tomb is broken into, its system of time/space is fractured, and it becomes a ruin from the point of view of both its own historical function and its larger contemporary context. Both Chinese and American popular culture have a demonstrated fascination with breaking into Emperor Qin Shihuang＇s tomb. This article provides an analysis of three groups of texts from China and the United States, including Lilian Lee＇s novella The Terracotta Warrior and its screen adaptations, the 2005 film The Myth, directed by Stanley Tong, and its TV adaptation, and American texts including the 2001 NBC TV movie The Lost Empire, directed by Peter MacDonald, and the 2008 film The Mummy： Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, directed by Rob Cohen. After demonstrating how the special chronotope of Qin Shihuang＇s tomb directly affects the major thematic developments of these texts, this article then examines and compares how the different groups of texts confront the topics of death and immortality, excavation vs. preservation, and good vs. evil in ways that reflect the politics of representation.

Middle and late pleistocene biostratigraphy and paleoclimate of an open-pit coal mine Schoningen Germany

In the Schoningen open-pit lignite mine (Northeastern Lower Saxony, Germany),Tertiary strata are unconformably overlain by Quaternary sediments and soils of Middle and LatePleistocene and Holocene age. The complex Pleistocene sequence contains a number ofinterglacial and interstadial deposits and soils and is of scientific importance for Late MiddlePleistocene stratigraphy of Central Europe and because of archeological evidence of early humanoccupation by Home erectus. There is evidence of four interglacials younger than the third-lastglaciation (Elsterian). The classical Holsteinian is followed by the newly discoveredbiostratigraphic unit Reinsdorf, an interglacial complex which contains archeological horizonswith wooden artifacts. Based on paleoecological fauna and flora data, the lithological setting andpreliminary age determinations, the Reinsdorf Interglacial likely correlates with marine isotopestage 9 and the Holsteinian with stage 11.

Remote sensing detection and verification of disappeared reservoirs along the Grand Canal of China

Digital Earth is an information-rich expression of the real Earth and is a new way of understanding the Earth in the twenty-first century.Archeology has found great potentialities in Digital Earth,strongly increasing its development and its interdisciplinary experimentations.With the rapid development of remote sensing,the importance of applying Earth observation technology to archeological research has caught a great amount of attention worldwide.The objective of this study is to apply Radarsat-1 and Landsat imagery,historical maps,and aerial photographs in the detection and verification of disappeared reservoirs built 500 years ago as part of the Grand Canal of China.The results of the study show that the potential sites present distinct variations in soil moisture,biomass,and biological vigor,characterized by weak backscattering in Radarsat imagery;high vegetation indices in Landsat imagery;and distinct anomalies in a Landsat principle components image.Historical maps and aerial photographs also verified the existence of the sites of disappeared reservoirs.Since the sites have so far not been extensively explored,the results should represent a significant contribution to the understanding of the Grand Canal of China and its auxiliary facilities.