Settlement Sites Distribution Forced By Environment Around 4.0 Ka BP In Shanxi Province,China

Shanxi Province,which is located in the eastern Loess Plateau and the middle reaches of the Yellow River with complex nature environment and long history of human culture,is selected as the study area.Based on the comprehensive analysis of the climatic characteristics,Shanxi Province can be divided into three different climatic zones:the cold and dry climate zone of northern Shanxi Province,the mild and semi-arid climate zone of middle and northeastern Shanxi Province,and the wann and semi-arid climate zone of southern Shanxi Province.We stacked respectively the settlement sites in Longshan Culture period and Xia-Shang period and the Shanxi Province geomorphologic map and elevation map,and on this basis,combining with existing archaeological data and study findings,the relationship between the distribute changes in settlement sites and environment in the whole province and each climate zone is discussed.The study found that:(1)Around 4.0 ka BP ago,floods and subsequent dry-cold events jointly led to the decrease in the settlement sites density per thousand years in different geomorphology and elevation range of each climate zones.However,because the dry-cold events lasted longer and wider,it had a greater influence on the settlement sites distribution than the floods.(2)Compared to 4.0 ka BP before and after,the decrease in the settlement sites density per thousand year in the cold and dry climate zone of northern Shanxi Province>the warm and semi-arid climate zone of southern Shanxi Province>the mild and semi-arid climate zone of middle and northeastern Shanxi Province,in the hilly areas is more obviously than in the other geomorphology types,and in the high altitude range>the low altitude range>the middle altitude range.In the cold and dry climate zone of northern Shanxi Province,the difference in the settlement sites density in different geomorphology types and different altitudes ranges was slight;In tthe mild and semi-arid climate zone of middle and northeastern Shanxi Province,the decrease is more obviously in mountains and hills than plains and terraces,and the most obviously decrease occurred in the high altitude range,while the decrease in the low altitude was the slightest;in the warm and semi-arid climate zone of southern Shanxi Province,the decrease in settlement sites in the mountains,plateaus and plains all were obvious,and the most obviously decrease occurred in the middle altitude range and the slightest decrease occurred in low altitude range.(3)The difference of the decrease in settelement sites density in different geomorphology and elevation range of each climate zones is resulted from three reasons.The first reason is that different climate zone has different susceptibility to climate change;the second reason is that the spatial distribution characteristcs is different of the different geomorphology types and elevation range in each climate zone;the third reason is that after the occurrence of the abrupt climate change,the reduction degree of material resources and the frequent degree of war were different in each climate zone.