The Analysis Of Settlement Structure And Social Network Of Daxi Culture In Xiajiang Area

Based on the spatial and temporal framework of archaeological culture,this paper explores the interaction between culture and environment and the internal relationship of archaeological culture through the method of settlement study and social network analysis.In the first chapter,this paper tries to establish the spatial and temporal framework of Daxi Culture in theXiajiang region.Firstly,this paper combs the geographic concept of the Xiajiang area and considers that this concept includes two expressions:the broad sense of the combination of Three Gorges and the Qingjiang area as well as the narrow sense of the Three Gorges area of the Yangtze River.On this basis,this paper collected 46 sites of Daxi Culture in the Xiajiang area and made a list of their distribution.In terms of time frame,this paper agrees with the viewpoint of the early,middle and late stages of Daxi Culture(6200-5200B.P.)in the Xiajiang region and carries out the corresponding stages of 46 sites.Among these sites,there are about 7 early-period sites and 18 middle-period and late-period sites with the relative age of about 17 sites unknown.There are also four sites,including Daxi site,Dashuitian site,Zhongbaodao site and Guanmiaoshan site,which run through all periods of Daxi Culture.Based on the above concepts,the statistics of the number of sites,and the corresponding historical stages,the first chapter of this paper establishes the spatial and temporal framework of Daxi Culture in the Xiajiang region.In the second chapter,this paper takes settlement analysis as the main method to analyze distribution,different units and the function zoning of settlements.Firstly,this paper analyses the horizontal and vertical distribution characteristics as well as types of site selection in Daxi settlements,and finds that most of the sites are located on terraces along the river bank with a few sites locating in steep hilly areas.The overall characteristics of settlement distribution along the river are presented,especially in the estuary and riverside areas where the tributaries meet with the Yangtze River.The elevation of the settlements mostly locates among the range of 80-150 meters.A few sites show a larger range of elevation due to the steep hilly areas where they locate in.The distribution characteristics of those settlements show dependence on rivers,especially the Yangtze River.Secondly,this chapter discusses and analyses the distribution,structural characteristics and coexisting relics of houses and tombs found at near 20 sites and find strong consistence among them while ther are also difference between the west and the east area.Finally,combined with the above analysis of settlement structure units,this paper discusses the overall structure and functional zoning of Daxi cultural settlement in Xiajiang area.It is believed that settlement planning and functional zoning consciousness have begun to appear in the middle and late stages of Daxi Culture.The structural characteristics of different settlements may be influenced by environment or related to specific functions such as the production of stone artifacts.In the third chapter,the Xiajiang area is regarded as a whole network and sites of Daxi Culture in this area are regarded as nodes of the network.This paper finds that these sites have abundant connections in the archaeological context of four kinds of relics:production tools,living utensils,ornaments and animal skeletons as well as the spatial relationship of the sites.,which contribute to the establishment of a node-path model of regional network According to the structure of network in different periods,it can be found that the social network in the early stage of Daxi Culture is relatively simple while the social network in the middle and late stage expands a lot and tends to be complex,which possibly is the result of the gradual development of Daxi Culture and the intensification of social complexity.Under the space-time framework of Daxi Culture in Xiajiang region,this paper explores the characteristics of Daxi cultural settlement in Xiajiang region,which is limited and deeply influenced by natural environment,as well as the behavior of utilizing nature to develop their livelihood and gradually forming a communication network across the Xiajiang region in the long-term development of the culture.Through Yangtze River,a natural corridor,abundant communication has been generated within Daxi Culture,which maintains the vitality of the culture.