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Mid-Holocene climate change and its effect on prehistoric cultural evolution in eastern Qinghai Province, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Guanghui Dong ,
Xin Jia ,
Chengbang An ,
Fahu Chen ,
Yan Zhao ,
Shichen Tao  and
Minmin Ma
Guanghui Dong*
Affiliation:
MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Xin Jia
Affiliation:
MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Chengbang An
Affiliation:
MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Fahu Chen
Affiliation:
MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Yan Zhao
Affiliation:
MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Shichen Tao
Affiliation:
MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Minmin Ma
Affiliation:
MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
*
*Corresponding author. Fax: + 86 931 8912330. E-mail address:ghdong@lzu.edu.cn (G. Dong).
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Abstract

We studied the mid-Holocene climate change in eastern Qinghai Province, China and its impact on the evolution of Majiayao (3980–2050 BC) and Qijia (2183–1635 BC) cultures, near the important Neolithic site of Changning. The investigation focused on analyses of grain size, magnetic susceptibility, ratios of elemental contents, and pollen assemblage from a loess-paleosol sequence. The results indicate that the climate was wet during 5830–4900 cal yr BP, which promoted the development of early-mid Majiayao culture in eastern Qinghai Province. However, 4900–4700 cal yr BP were drought years in the region, responsible for the decline and eastward movement of prehistoric culture during the period of transition from early-mid to late Majiayao culture. The climate turned wet again during 4700–3940 cal yr BP, which accelerated the spread of Qijia culture to the middle reaches of the Huangshui River, including the Changning site.

Keywords

Mid-HoloceneClimate changeEastern Qinghai ProvinceMajiayao cultureQijia cultureChangning site
Type
Original Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 77 , Issue 1 , January 2012 , pp. 23 - 30
Copyright
University of Washington

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