中文

Chinese Journal of Nature ›› 2016, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (4): 248-252.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2016.04.003

• Review Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Cultural expansion and its influencing factors during Neolithic period in the Yellow River valley, northern China

DONG Guanghui①, LIU Fengwen①, YANG Yishi①, WANG Lin②, CHEN Fahu①   

  1. ①Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; ②School of Architecture, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian Province, China
  • Received:2016-06-12 Online:2016-08-25 Published:2016-09-05

PDF

608

Cited

4

Abstract:

The development of Neolithic cultures in the Yellow River valley promoted the emergence of Chinese ancient civilization. Three phases of the temporal-spatial variation of Neolithic culture evolution can be decerned based on archaeological survey, the distribution range of Neolithic sites was mainly limited to foothills during the pre-Yangshao period (9 000~7 000 BP), which widely expanded to the valleys of the Yellow River and its tributaries during the Yangshao period (7 000~5 000 BP), and further extended to hilly areas during the Longshan period (5 000~4 000 BP). With the comparison to the results of palaeoclimate and archaeometry studies, we argue that the spatial expansion of Neolithic cultures was primarily facilitated by the development of millet-based agriculture in the Yellow River valley, which was further affected by the climate changes.