Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-05T05:16:30.602Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Phytolith and diatom evidence for rice exploitation and environmental changes during the early mid-Holocene in the Yangtze Delta

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Xinxin Zuo ,
Houyuan Lu ,
Zhen Li ,
Bing Song ,
Deke Xu ,
Yafei Zou ,
Can Wang ,
Xiujia Huan  and
Keyang He
Xinxin Zuo*
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China
Houyuan Lu*
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
Zhen Li
Affiliation:
School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8P 5C2, Canada
Bing Song
Affiliation:
Quaternary Geology Department, Geological Research Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea
Deke Xu
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
Yafei Zou
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
Can Wang
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
Xiujia Huan
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
Keyang He
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
*
*Corresponding author.
**Corresponding author. Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029, Beijing, China. E-mail addresses:zuoxinxin@live.cn, zuoxinxin@mail.iggcas.ac.cn(X. Zuo)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Using phytolith analysis from a well-dated and high-resolution sediment sequence in the apex of northern Yangtze Delta, we investigate environmental changes, the rise and decline of rice exploitation and possible impacts of environment on rice exploitation during the early mid-Holocene. The phytolith sequence documents a relatively warm and dry interval during ca.9000 to 8200 cal yr BP, followed by climatic amelioration before 7200 cal yr BP. Phytolith evidence indicates that rice exploitation at the apex of northern Yangtze Delta began at 8200 cal yr BP, flourished by 7700 cal yr BP and ceased after 7400 cal yr BP. The first emergence of marine diatom species approximately 7300 cal yr BP likely indicates an accelerated sea-level rise. The apparent correlation of the initiation of rice exploitation with climatic amelioration during the early mid-Holocene suggests that climatic changes may have played an important role in facilitating rice exploitation. Both the ideal climatic conditions and stable sea level enabled flourishing rice exploitation during 8200 to 7400 cal yr BP. Although the climate remained warm and wet after 7400 cal yr BP, local sea-level rise possibly led to the termination of earlier rice exploitation at this site of the northern Yangtze Delta.

Keywords

Yangtze DeltaRice exploitationPhytolithsClimate changeHoloceneSea-level rise
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 86 , Issue 3 , November 2016 , pp. 304 - 315
Copyright
Copyright © University of Washington 2016

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aleman, J.C., Canal-Subitani, S., Favier, C., Bremond, L., 2014. Influence of the local environment on lacustrine sedimentary phytolith records. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 414, 273–283.Google Scholar
Atahan, P., Grice, K., Dodson, J., 2007. Agriculture and environmental change at Qingpu, Yangtze delta region, China: a biomarker, stable isotope and palynological approach. Holocene 17, 507–515.Google Scholar
Atahan, P., Itzstein-Davey, F., Taylor, D., Dodson, J., Qin, J., Zheng, H., Brooks, A., 2008. Holocene-aged sedimentary records of environmental changes and early agriculture in the lower Yangtze, China. Quaternary Science Reviews 27, 556–570.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bird, M.I., Fifield, L.K., Teh, T.S., Chang, C.H., Shirlaw, N., Lambeck, K., 2007. An inflection in the rate of early mid-Holocene eustatic sea-level rise: a new sea-level curve from Singapore. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 71, 523–536.Google Scholar
Bird, M.I., Austin, W.E.N., Wurster, C.M., Fifield, L.K., Mojtahid, M., Sargeant, C., 2010. Punctuated eustatic sea-level rise in the early mid-Holocene. Geology 38, 803–806.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, W., Wang, W.M., Dai, X.R., 2009. Holocene vegetation history with implications of human impact in the Lake Chaohu area, Anhui Province, East China. Veget Hist Archaeobot 18, 137–146.Google Scholar
Chen, Z., Wang, Z., Schneiderman, J., Taol, J., Cail, Y., 2005. Holocene climate fluctuations in the Yangtze delta of eastern China and the Neolithic response. The Holocene 15, 915–924.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, Z., Zong, Y., Wang, Z., Wang, H., Chen, J., 2008. Migration patterns of Neolithic settlements on the abandoned Yellow and Yangtze River deltas of China. Quaternary Research 70, 301–314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collinson, J.D., 1996. Sedimentary Environments: processes, facies and stratigraphy. In: Reading, H.G. (Ed.), Alluvial Sediments. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, pp. 37–82.Google Scholar
Crawford, G.W., 2012. Early rice exploitation in the lower Yangzi valley: what are we missing? Holocene 22, 613–621.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
d’Alpoim Guedes, J., Austermann, J., Mitrovica, J.X., 2016. Lost Foraging Opportunities for East Asian Hunter-Gatherers Due to Rising Sea Level Since the Last Glacial Maximum. Geoarchaeology 31, 255–266.Google Scholar
Deng, Z., Qin, L., Gao, Y., Weisskopf, A.R., Zhang, C., Fuller, D.Q., 2015. From Early Domesticated Rice of the Middle Yangtze Basin to Millet, rice and wheat agriculture: archaeobotanical macro-remains from Baligang, Nanyang Basin, Central China (6700?500 BC). Plos One 10, e0139885.Google Scholar
Fuller, D., Castillo, C., 2014. Rice: origins and Development. In: Smith, C. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, New York, pp. 6339–6343.Google Scholar
Garnier, A., Neumann, K., Eichhorn, B., Lespez, L., 2013. Phytolith taphonomy in the middle- to late-Holocene fluvial sediments of Ounjougou (Mali, West Africa). The Holocene 23, 416–431.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gong, Z.T., Chen, H.Z., Yuan, D.G., Zhao, Y.G., Wu, Y.J., Zhang, G.L., 2007. The temporal and spatial distribution of ancient rice in China and its implications. Chinese Science Bulletin 52, 1071–1079.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hori, K., Saito, Y., 2007. An early Holocene sea-level jump and delta initiation. Geophysical Research Letters 34, L18401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huan, X., Lu, H., Wang, C., Tang, X., Zuo, X., Ge, Y., He, K., 2015. Bulliform phytolith research in wild and domesticated rice paddy soil in south China. Plos One 10, e0141255.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Innes, J.B., Zong, Y., Chen, Z., Chen, C., Wang, Z., Wang, H., 2009. Environmental history, palaeoecology and human activity at the early Neolithic forager/cultivator site at Kuahuqiao, Hangzhou, eastern China. Quaternary Science Reviews 28, 2277–2294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Innes, J.B., Zong, Y., Wang, Z., Chen, Z., 2014. Climatic and palaeoecological changes during the mid- to Late Holocene transition in eastern China: high-resolution pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analysis at Pingwang, Yangtze coastal lowlands. Quaternary Science Reviews 99, 164–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Itzstein-Davey, F., Taylor, D., Dodson, J., Atahan, P., Zheng, H., 2007. Wild and domesticated forms of rice (Oryza sp.) in early agriculture at Qingpu, lower Yangtze, China: evidence from phytoliths. Journal of Archaeological Science 34, 2101–2108.Google Scholar
Jiang, D., 1991. Climate on the Yangtze Delta. Meteorologica Press, Beijing, China.Google Scholar
Jin, G., Wu, W., Zhang, K., Wang, Z., Wu, X., 2014. 8000-Year old rice remains from the north edge of the Shandong Highlands, East China. Journal of Archaeological Science 51, 34–42.Google Scholar
Jones, S., Hunt, C., Reimer, P., 2013. A 2300yr record of sago and rice use from the southern Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. The Holocene 23, 708–720.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambeck, K., Rouby, H., Purcell, A., Sun, Y., Sambridge, M., 2014. Sea level and global ice volumes from the Last Glacial maximum to the Holocene. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111, 15296–15303.Google Scholar
Latorre, F., Fernandez Honaine, M., Osterrieth, M., 2012. First report of phytoliths in the air of Argentina. Aerobiologia 28, 61–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, C., Wang, P., Suna, H., Zhang, J., Fan, D., Deng, B., 2002. Late Quaternary incised-valley fill of the Yangtze delta (China): its stratigraphic framework and evolution. Sedimentary Geology 152, 133–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, K.-B., Sun, S., Jiang, X., 1992. Environmental change in the Yangtze River delta since 12,000 years B.p. Quaternary Research 38, 32–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Long, T.W., Qin, J.G., Atahan, P., Mooney, S., Taylor, D., 2014. Rising waters: New geoarchaeological evidence of inundation and early agriculture from former settlement sites on the southern Yangtze Delta, China. The Holocene 24, 546–558.Google Scholar
Long, T., Taylor, D., 2015. A revised chronology for the archaeology of the lower Yangtze, China, based on Bayesian statistical modelling. Journal of Archaeological Science 63, 115–121 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, H., Wang, Y., Wang, G.a., Yang, H., Li, Z., 2000. Analysis of carbon isotope in phytoliths from C3 and C4 plants and modern soils. Chinese Science Bulletin 45, 1804–1808.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, H., Zhang, J., Liu, K.-b., Wu, N., Li, Y., Zhou, K., Ye, M., Zhang, T., Zhang, H., Yang, X., Shen, L., Xu, D., Li, Q., 2009. Earliest domestication of common millet (Panicum miliaceum) in East Asia extended to 10,000 years ago. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106, 7367–7372.Google Scholar
Lu, H.Y., Liu, Z.X., Wu, N.Q., Berne, S., Saito, Y., Liu, B.Z., Wang, L., 2002. Rice domestication and climatic change: phytolith evidence from East China. Boreas 31, 378–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, H.Y., Wu, N.Q., Yang, X.D., Jiang, H., Liu, K.B., Liu, T.S., 2006. Phytoliths as quantitative indicators for the reconstruction of past environmental conditions in China I: phytolith-based transfer functions. Quaternary Science Reviews 25, 945–959.Google Scholar
Lu, H.Y., Wu, N.Q., Liu, K.B., Jiang, H., Liu, T.S., 2007. Phytoliths as quantitative indicators for the reconstruction of past environmental conditions in China II: palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in the Loess Plateau. Quaternary Science Reviews 26, 759–772.Google Scholar
Madella, M., Alexandre, A., Ball, T., 2005. International code for phytolith nomenclature 1.0. Annals of Botany 96, 253–260.Google Scholar
Miall, A.D., 1992. Facies models: response to sea level change. In: Walker, R.G., James, N.P. (Eds.), Alluvial Deposits. Geological Association of Canada, Waterloo, Ont, pp. 119–139.Google Scholar
Osterrieth, M., Madella, M., Zurro, D., Fernanda Alvarez, M., 2009. Taphonomical aspects of silica phytoliths in the loess sediments of the Argentinean Pampas. Quaternary International 193, 70–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patalano, R., Wang, Z., Leng, Q., Liu, W., Zheng, Y., Sun, G., Yang, H., 2015. Hydrological changes facilitated early rice farming in the lower Yangtze River Valley in China: a molecular isotope analysis. Geology 43, 639–642.Google Scholar
Qin, J., Taylor, D., Atahan, P., Zhang, X., Wu, G., Dodson, J., Zheng, H., Itzstein-Davey, F., 2011. Neolithic agriculture, freshwater resources and rapid environmental changes on the lower Yangtze, China. Quaternary Research 75, 55–65.Google Scholar
Qiu, Z., Jiang, H., Ding, J., Hu, Y., Shang, X., 2014. Pollen and phytolith evidence for rice cultivation and vegetation change during the Mid-Late Holocene at the Jiangli Site, Suzhou, East China. Plos One 9, e86816.Google Scholar
Reimer, P.J., Bard, E., Bayliss, A., Beck, J.W., Blackwell, P.G., Bronk Ramsey, C., Buck, C.E., Cheng, H., Edwards, R.L., Friedrich, M., Grootes, P.M., Guilderson, T.P., Haflidason, H., Hajdas, I., Hatte, C., Heaton, T.J., Hoffmann, D.L., Hogg, A.G., Hughen, K.A., Kaiser, K.F., Kromer, B., Manning, S.W., Niu, M., Reimer, R.W., Richards, D.A., Scott, E.M., Southon, J.R., Staff, R.A., Turney, C.S.M., van der Plicht, J., 2013. IntCal13 and Marine13 Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curves 0-50,000 Years Cal. Bp. Radiocarbon 55, 1869–1887 Google Scholar
Saxena, A., Prasad, V., Singh, I.B., Chauhan, M.S., Hasan, R., 2006. On the Holocene record of phytoliths of wild and cultivated rice from Ganga Plain: evidence for rice-based agriculture. Current Science 90, 1547–1552 Google Scholar
Shu, J., Wang, W., Jiang, L., Takahara, H., 2010. Early Neolithic vegetation history, fire regime and human activity at Kuahuqiao, Lower Yangtze River, East China: new and improved insight. Quaternary International 227, 10–21 Google Scholar
Silva, F., Stevens, C.J., Weisskopf, A., Castillo, C., Qin, L., Bevan, A., Fuller, D.Q., 2015. Modelling the geographical origin of rice cultivation in Asia using the rice archaeological database. PLoS One 10, e0137024.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Song, B., Li, Z., Saito, Y., Okuno, J.i., Lu, A., Hua, D., Li, J., Li, Y., Nakashima, R., 2013. Initiation of the Changjiang (Yangtze) delta and its response to the mid-Holocene sea level change. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 388, 81–97.Google Scholar
Stanley, D.J., Chen, Z., 1996. Neolithic settlement distributions as a function of sea levelecontrolled topographyinthe Yangtze delta, China. Geology 24, 1083–1086 2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tao, J., Chen, M.-T., Xu, S., 2006. A Holocene environmental record from the southern Yangtze River delta, eastern China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 230, 204–229.Google Scholar
Wang, Q., Yang, S.Y., 2013. Clay mineralogy indicates the Holocene monsoon climate in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) catchment, China. Appl. Clay Sci. 74, 28–36.Google Scholar
Wang, W.-M., Ding, J.-L., Shu, J.-W., Chen, W., 2010a. Exploration of early rice farming in China. Quaternary International 227, 22–28.Google Scholar
Wang, W., Shu, J., Chen, W., Ding, J., 2010b. Holocene environmental changes and human impact in the Yangtze river delta area, east China. Quaternary Sciences 30, 233–244 (in Chinese ).Google Scholar
Wang, Y., Lu, H., 1992. Phytolith Study and its Application. China Ocean Press, Beijing.Google Scholar
Wang, Z., Zhuang, C., Saito, Y., Chen, J., Zhan, Q., Wang, X., 2012. Early mid-Holocene sea-level change and coastal environmental response on the southern Yangtze delta plain, China: implications for the rise of Neolithic culture. Quaternary Science Reviews 35, 51–62.Google Scholar
Wang, Z.H., Zhan, Q., Long, H.Y., Saito, Y., Gao, X.Q., Wu, X.X., Li, L., Zhao, Y.A., 2013. Early to mid-Holocene rapid sea-level rise and coastal response on the southern Yangtze delta plain, China. Journal of Quaternary Science 28, 659–672.Google Scholar
Wang, Z.H., Xu, H., Zhan, Q., Saito, Y., He, Z.F., Xie, J.L., Li, X., Dong, Y.H., 2010c. Lithological and palynological evidence of late Quaternary depositional environments in the subaqueous Yangtze delta, China. Quaternary Research 73, 550–562.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wen, R.L., Xiao, J., Chang, Z.G., Zhai, D.Y., Xu, Q.H., Li, Y.C., Itoh, S., 2010. Holocene precipitation and temperature variations in the East Asian monsoonal margin from pollen data from Hulun Lake in northeastern Inner Mongolia, China. Boreas 39, 262–272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wu, L., Li, F., Zhu, C., Li, L., Li, B., 2012. Holocene environmental change and archaeology, Yangtze River Valley, China: review and prospects. Geoscience Frontiers 3, 875–892.Google Scholar
Wu, L., Zhu, C., Zheng, C., Ma, C., Wang, X., Li, F., Li, B., Li, K., 2014a. Impact of Holocene climate change on the prehistoric cultures of Zhejiang region, East China. Journal of Geographical Sciences 24, 669–688.Google Scholar
Wu, Y., Jiang, L., Zheng, Y., Wang, C., Zhao, Z., 2014b. Morphological trend analysis of rice phytolith during the early Neolithic in the Lower Yangtze. Journal of Archaeological Science 49, 326–331.Google Scholar
Yi, S., Saito, Y., Zhao, Q., Wang, P., 2003. Vegetation and climate changes in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Delta, China, during the past 13,000 years inferred from pollen records. Quaternary Science Reviews 22, 1501–1519.Google Scholar
Zhang, J.P., Lu, H.Y., Gu, W.F., Wu, N.Q., Zhou, K.S., Hu, Y.Y., Xin, Y.J., Wang, C., 2012. Early Mixed farming of millet and rice 7800 Years ago in the Middle Yellow River Region, China. Plos One 7 (12), e52146.Google Scholar
Zhang, Q., Zhu, C., Liu, C.L., Jiang, T., 2005. Environmental change and its impacts on human settlement in the Yangtze Delta, PR China. Catena 60, 267–277.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, Y., Jia, L., Lu, B., 2004. Studies on evolution of vegetation and climate since 7000 Years ago in Esturay of Changjiang River Region. Marine Science Bulletin 23, 27–34 (in Chinese).Google Scholar
Zhao, Y., Yu, Z., 2012. Vegetation response to Holocene climate change in East Asian monsoon-margin region. Earth-Science Reviews 113, 1–10.Google Scholar
Zhao, Z., Pearsall, D., Benfer, R., Piperno, D., 1998. Distinguishing rice (Oryza sativa poaceae) from wildOryza species through phytolith analysis, II Finalized method. Economic Botany 52, 134–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhao, Z., Piperno, D.R., 2000. Late Pleistocene/Holocene environments in the middle Yangtze River valley, China and rice (Oryza sativa L.) domestication: the phytolith evidence. Geoarchaeology 15, 203–222.3.0.CO;2-J>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhao, Z., 2010. New data and new issues for the study of origin of rice agriculture in China. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 2, 99–105.Google Scholar
Zheng, Y., Jiang, L., Zheng, J., 2004. Study on the remains of ancient rice from Kuahuqiao Site in Zhejiang Province. Chinese Journal of Rice Science 18, 119–124.Google Scholar
Zhu, C., Zheng, C., Ma, C., Yang, X., Gao, X., Wang, H., Shao, J., 2003. On the Holocene sea-level highstand along the Yangtze Delta and Ningshao Plain, East China. Chinese Science Bulletin 48, 2672–2683.Google Scholar
Zhu, C., 2005. The consideration on environmental archaeology issues since the Neolithic age in the Yangtze River Valley. Progress in Natural Science 15, 149e153 (in Chinese).Google Scholar
Zong, Y., Chen, Z., Innes, J.B., Chen, C., Wang, Z., Wang, H., 2007. Fire and flood management of coastal swamp enabled first rice paddy cultivation in east China. Nature 449, 459–462.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zong, Y., Innes, J.B., Wang, Z., Chen, Z., 2011. Mid-Holocene coastal hydrology and salinity changes in the east Taihu area of the lower Yangtze wetlands, China. Quaternary Research 76, 69–82.Google Scholar
Zong, Y., Innes, J.B., Wang, Z., Chen, Z., 2012. Environmental change and Neolithic settlement movement in the lower Yangtze wetlands of China. Holocene 22, 659e673.Google Scholar
Zong, Y., Zheng, Z., Huang, K., Sun, Y., Wang, N., Tang, M., Huang, G., 2013. Changes in sea level, water salinity and wetland habitat linked to the late agricultural development in the Pearl River delta plain of China. Quaternary Science Reviews 70, 145–157.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Zuo et al. Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material

Download Zuo et al. Supplementary Material(File)
File 1.3 MB