Environmental Archaeology In Stratigraphic Studies

This thesis summarizes the main theories and limitions of the traditional archaeological stratigrahpy in China,then introduces the recent geological and environmental archaeology study results on stratigraphiy.Based on the two points upwards, the author gives the opinions on some hotspot topics of stratigraphic study, then make an outlook about the environmental archaeology on stratigraphic study.The full text is divided into four parts.â… .The traditional stratigraphic study in Chinaâ–¡The beginning and development of the traditional stratigraphy in ChinaThe development of the traditional stratigrahpy can be divided into two phases.Before 1949 and after 1949.Before1949, there were three remarkable events.The first is the geologist J.G.Andersson's excavation in Yangshao, Henan province.The second is three strata Liang Si-Yong found in Hougang, Henan province.The last is Xia Nai's finding about the strata of the Qijia Culture in Gansu province.After 1949, the stratigraphic study can also be divided into two phases. The exploring and studying phase during'50 to'60 when many theories and methods about stratigrahpy and excavation were intrduced into China from Soviet Union. In this period our archaeologists also began the original summarization on stratigrahpy.After more then ten years'stagnation, the brand new summarizing phase began from 1980, many celebrated archaeologists began to summarize the stratigrahpy adapting to our country. After the significant summarizing phase, the stratigrahpic studies in our country came to maturity, and established a series of theories and methods, which became the foundation of the traditional archaeology in China.â–¡The main theories and signification of the traditional archaeology in China.In this part, the author summarizs 8 principles of the archaeological stratigrahpic theory, and points out the significations mainly for chronology.â–¡The topics which we should continue to discuss in archaeological stratigrahpy.Some limitions of the traditional archaeological stratigrahpy still need to be discussed particularly.These limitions came from the losing sight of the environment, in which the strata were formed.To satisfied the development of some fresh new branch subjects in archaeology, we need discuss them in real earnest.â…¡.The recent research on geological and environmental archaeological stratigrahpy in China.The author will introduce five important researches about the recent studies on geological and environmental archaeological stratigrahpy in this article.â–¡Loess research in ChinaMainly introduced the recent study in loess including theories, methods and technics.â–¡Loess research and palaeolithic archaeology in Chinaâ–¡Holocene loess stratigraphic research and Zhouyuan loess researchMainly introduced the Holocene strata on the southeastern edge of the Loess Plateau and the relationships between the loess and the cultural beds.â–¡The desert-loess transitional region and the northern nomadic culture research in China.Desert and its peripheral loess form a coupled system, the environmental changes and location transformation in histroy have a relationship with the northern nomadism culture in China.â–¡The study of Holocene flood and environmental archaeology in flood strataCultural interruptions in many ancient cultural layers in the strata such as the three gorges have been found by the excavation along the Changjiang River, which were caused by ancient flood.The research about the Holocene flood by studying the evidences in the strata can show the relationship between flood and the cultural interruption.â…¢. Discussions among some hotspot topics in stratigraphic study. Mainly disscuss two important questions:â–¡How were the ancient cultural strata formed in archaeological sites and what is the ralationship between cultural strata and natural strata.In this part, the author classifys all the strata into two parts: cultural strata and natural strata. The author detailedly discusses the circumstances in which the cultural strata were craeted. the author'opinion is that natural causation is still very impotrant as the aspects, in which cultural strata are craeted.â–¡Whether the circumstance that the relics"hunging"between two division lines of the cultural strata is a reality and how to explain it.The author thinks this circumstance is realistic.This realistic circumstance happens when cultural stratum is mainly craeted by natural causation rather than human causation.And the cultural stratum can be craeted by inches and at a chronically period.â…£Outlook and expectation on environmental archaeology on stratigraphic study in the future.â–¡Strengthen the cooperation between traditional archaeology and environmental archaeologyStratigrahpy is a great locus, in which cooperation between traditional archaeology and environmental archaeology can be strengthened. Especially in excavation, with the help of environmental archaeology, we can do much better in studying the ancient cultural strataâ–¡Establish the Holocene stratigrahic system between cultural strata and natural strata at the range of the whole nation.The author lays out five regions where the Holocene stratigrahic system between cultural strata and natural strata can be or shuold be established, imitating Su Bingqi'region and pedigree theory in archaeology .â–¡More reseach should be done on the ralationship beween human and environment.Based on the above four parts, the author expects to improve the development of stratigraphic researches in environmental archaeology.