Vegetation Changes And Human Activities During The Neolithic Period In The Kuahuqiao Area Of Zhejiang

In this study,vegetation succession and paleoenvironmental evolution process were comprehensively reconstructed during the early-middle Neolithic period by analyzing pollen and charcoal data in association with lithological,geochemical and diatom analyses from the two natural cores from Baima Lake and Xianghu Lake,respectively near the Kuahuqiao archaeological site Zhejiang Province.Meanwhile,by comparing the pollen records between natural cores and the Kuahuqiao profile,the similarities and differences of impact of human activities on vegetation including their scope and intensity have been discussed.The comprehensive analyses of two cores reveal that environment changes in the Kuahuqiao area had gone through the following stages:1)9500-8840 cal a BP,the vegetation around the archaeological site was mixed coniferous and broadleaved forest dominated by Pinus and Quercus,indicating a cool and humid climate whereas deciduous Quercus-dominant forest flourished at the archaeological site.2)8840-7950 cal a BP,significant increase of Cyperaceae and moisture-loving element Ba showing the increased rainfall and expansion of marsh wetland,which formed a favorable geomorphological and ecological basis for human beings.3)7950-7400 cal a BP,substantial rises of Poaceae pollen and charcoal reveal that human activity range of the Kuahuqiao culture extends as far as 3 km away from the archaeological site,but the intensity is obviously weaker comparing with the archaeological site.It is speculated that the early local people spread from the central Kuahuqiao site.4)After 7400 cal a BP,the two cores are all affected by marine inundation.Abundant occourance of marine indicators such as dinoflagellate,Chenopodiaceae,Sr/Ba element ratio indicated ever-rising sea level flooded the the Kuahuqiao site and forced local people to abondan their homes.This study supports the previous view that the decline of the Kuahuqiao site after 7400 cal a BP is related to sea level rise.This study reveals the spatial heterogeneity of early-middle Holocene vegetation in local archaeological site area and its periphery,improve understanding of impact extent of the Kuahuqiao culture and the similarities and differences of vegetation disturbance at diffirent sites,and provides new ideas for further understanding of the relationship between human and environment in the plain area along the southeast coast of China.