Abstract: Black carbon (BC) are a series of carbonaceous products of the incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels, that have both high armoaticity and high resistance to degradation, thereby they can be preserved in the geological sediments for thousands to millons of years. Firstly, this paper briefly described the chemical properties of BC and the methods for iaolation and determination of BC in geological samples. Then, the paper summaried the scientific values of BC record in ancient soils and sediments and reviewed the distribution of BC and their significances in paleoenvironments and paleoclimates in various systems. Finally, the new directions in BC biogeochemistry in ancient geological samples were discussed.