Research On Neolithic Chronologies And Subsistential Strategies Of Lingnan Area

As the trajectory of subsistential evolution in Lingnan Area(the south of Five Ridges) during Neolithic period is tremendously different from other regions, research on it would not only reveal the uniqueness of Lingnan Area, but would also offer enlightenments for understanding the regional diversities and common rules of subsistential change of prehistoric populations. This dissertation first studied on the chronologies of Neolithic remains of Lingnan Area, and then researched on subsistential strategies of each period, culture and type, based on which, we summarized the trajectory of subsistential evolution of Lingnan Area during Neolithic period, and discussed regional diversities and common rules of subsistential evolution of prehistoric populations by comparing Lingnan Area with north China and Yangzi river region.The first part focused on chronology. We demonstrated that the 14 C dates of bones dated by conventional method which were using commonly by archaeologists are younger than their real ages, and that 14 C dates of shells which were always abandoned by archaeologists are closed to calibrated 14 C ages of charcoal from same strata, based on which, we modified the ages of many sites which are belonged to early and middle Neolithic, and proposed that there are two types, “Pottery(northern) type” and “Non-pottery(southern) type”, among early Neolithic culture of Lingnan Area, and that the ages of shell mound remains nearby rivers of Guangxi province are all earlier than 7000 BP. Besides, this article also presented some new ideas about the chronologies and dating of late Neolithic remains in Lingnan Area, such as: 1) we argued that Gexinqiao type is an important period between shell mound remains nearby river and Dingsishan phase IV; 2) hinted that the chronology and dating of Shaxia site at Pearl river delta are problematic; 3) re-dated Luyudun site which is located in west Guangdong; 4) made a systematic study on late Neolithic cultures of north Guangxi, north Guangdong, east Guangdong, east Guangxi-west Guangdong, with criticizing the wrong views, or presenting more precise conclusions, or providing more evidences for other point of views. All the work above laid the foundation for studying subsistential strategies and their changes, with relative reliable chronologies.In the second part of study, we also obtained some new ideas by being based on the results of chronologies research and by using more empirical and systematic methods—using the evidences of stone tools, fauna and flora remains, environmental and bioarchaeological information to study on subsistential strategies of on period, culture or type. First, we suggested that the populations of early Neolithic in Lingnan Area could be separated into two different subsistential adaptive modes or types——“pottery(northern) type” and “non-pottery(southern) type”, and that the Pottery type relatively emphasized on resource diversity, rate of nutrition acquisition and efficiency of hunting and gathering more than the Non-pottery type did because of being situated in higher latitude region and facing more environmental and resource stresses during Last Glacial Maximum(LGM). Second, the article pointed out that the subsistence of shell mound remains of middle Neolithic can be described as “broad-spectrum economy” which was similar to early Neolithic populations, but with a tendency of emphasizing on plant-gathering. Third, we proposed that Xiantouling culture was not a group fed on marine resources, but a population relying mostly on plant-gathering with exploitation of marine resources in its late phase, and Gexinqiao culture can’t be defined as fisher, hunter and gatherer generally, but also a group focused on plant-gathering with hunting and fishing as subsistential supplements. Besides, we found the subsistence of Shixia culture and Xiaojin culture are not agricultural societies, but groups fed on fishing, hunting and gathering with rice-cultivation as supplements. Finally, based on the research on chronologies and subsistence mentioned above, this article refined the trajectory of subsistential evolution of Lingnan Area during Neolithic period, changing the theory of “two stages” or “three stages” of subsistential evolution——“hunting-gathering to agriculture” or “hunting-gathering to hunting-gathering with agriculture as supplement to agriculture”, into the theory of “five stages”——“initial phase of broad-spectrum gathering, hunting and fishing” in early Neolithic�'“developmental stage of broad-spectrum gathering, hunting and fishing” in middle Neolithic�'“stage of intensification on plant-gathering” in the early phase of late Neolithic�'“transformation of regional subsistence” in the late phase of late Neolithic�'“stage of popularization and development of rice-cultivation” and “ period of specialization of hunting” in the end of Neolithic.By comparing Lingnan Area with north China and Yangzi river region, this dissertation suggested that the subsistence of populations during 2ka-1.2ka BP can be divided into four types or modes: “Hutouliang-Xiachuan mode” in north China whose typical remains are micro-blades, “Shiligang-Songjiadang mode” in middle Yangzi river whose representative remains are flake stones, “Xianren cave-Yuchanyan cave mode” in northern part of nouth China and its neighboring whose characteristic remains are cobble stone tools and potteries, and “Bailian cave-Dushizai mode” in southern part of Lingnan Area whose representative remains are cobble stone tools. We also found the differences of “agriculturization” and pace between the regions mentioned above in terms of stone tools: Peiligang and Cishan culture emphasized on millet-cultivation, plant-gathering, and fishing in the same time; Houli and Shangshan culture went through the phase of intensification on planting-gathering and grinding, Pengtoushan and lower Zaoshi culture hardly involved in plant-grinding; while the groups of Lingnan Area were still under the condition of broad-spectrum gathering, hunting and fishing at the same period. Besides, the article observed some common rules among human subsistential evolution: 1) facing resource stresses during LGM, populations of south and north China both broadened the spectrum of plant-gathering; 2) in the trajectory to agriculture, most regions went through a phase of intensification on plant-gathering, which could be concluded from the presence of large amount of grinding stone tools; 3) the differences of subsistential adaptive between regions were outcomes of facing different resource stresses.This dissertation have tried to combine the researches on chronology and subsistence that are usually belong to two different paradigms respectively, which would not only provide new point of views for researches about chronology and subsistence of Neolithic cultures in Lingnan Area, but also present new methods for relative studies, and the results came from comparative study on Lingnan Area, north China and Yangzi river regions would probably provide some enlightenments for understanding regional diversities and common rules of trajectory of subsistential evolution of human prehistory.