Environment Archaeology Of The Xi Jincheng Site

This article is a case of environmental archaeology about Henan Xijingcheng site.It is devided into five parts.In the first part, the author mainly introduces the study status, the basic theory, method of environmental archaeology both inside and outside of China.In the second part, there is a simple introduction to Xijincheng site, including its deposits of stratum, relics and the time of Longshan Culture.The emphases of this article are concentrated on the third and forth parts.The third part is about the reconstruction of the ancient environmentThrough multidisciplinary research,the author partly reconstructs the topographic feature,the vegetation.the fauna,the soil and the climate of ancient Xijincheng site.Research indicates that in Longshan period this area was a land of plain,and there were highlands in its north and at least three rivers around it in the west,east and north as well as marshes.Broadleaf trees were the primary vegetation and there were crops such as millets,rice,wheat,barley,soybean and so on.The information of fauna is deficient.We can only make sure that there were a lot of shells,fishes and deer.The excavation of the site indicates that the mainly types of soil contained marshes in Longshan period.All kinds of climate clues prove that the average temperature in Longshan period was a little higher than today's and so was the quatity of precipitation.The rivers did not ice up in winter.As all,its climate was like of modern climate in the region of Changjiang river.Chapter Four is an integrate research based on Chapter Three.In this part,the study of relationship between human and nature is the central topic.The author argues that the behaviors of ancient humen are influenced by a great variety of environmental factors.Some influences are passive,such as nature disaster(flood,earthquake...).The others are initiative,such as the collection of shells and production of stone tools.In this chapter,the author also discusses how did ancient humen adapt to the environment according to research of shells and stone tools. The analysis of shells show that the residents in Xijincheng of Longshan period collected shells such as Cipangopaludina,as a supplement of food,in the rivers or marshes nearby only in late spring and early summer,which affected the growth of shells more or less.The research on stone tools reveales that residents in that time had already held the technology of stone tools making deftly.It also proves that the materials of stone tools were mainly from the Dasha River to the east of the site and only a very small part were from the mountains to the north.Through the study,most stone tools were stubbed principally because of the low-quality of their materials,most of which were limestones.The author also believes that the agrotypes of the site and the method of stone tools'production ang using,to a cetern extent,lead to the damage of stone tools.The last part is a conclusion.Firstly,in Longshan period this aera had a great number of resources and favorable condition of water,temperature and soil,leading to a more extensive choice to the residents of crops planting such as rice,millets and so on as well as a good and easy harvesting.Even if in the late spring and early summer(a time of food lacking),the residents could collect shells as a supplement.They also ate some meats occasionally such as beers.Secondly,the residents could easily get the materials of stone tools and produce them largely.The only threaten might be the flood in summer,but they built walls to defend them.Totally speaking,people could survive themselves without destroying the environment in Longshan period,and there was a well balance between humen and nature.