Pollen Based Quantitative Reconstruction Of Landscape Before And After The Construction Of Yin Ruins,Anyang,China

Yin Ruins is the capital of the late Shang Dynasty located in Anyang City,occupies an important position in the history of Chinese civilization.In what climatic and environmental background of the Yin Ruins was constructed? And how do climate and environment affect the culture of the late Shang Dynasty? In order to solve these problems,we quantitative reconstructed the regional landscape before and after the Yin Ruins was constructed based on pollen data and the LRA method(Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm).The result shows that: Before the construction of the capital(4000-3600 cal year BP),forest developed in the Anyang region(34%);large areas of forest around the Yin Ruin area(42%),farmlands scattered along the Huan River and about 15% of regional landscape,mixed broadleaf-coniferous forest associated with evergreen broadleaf species occupied the western mountains and hills(47%),and extensive wetlands developed in the downstream of the Huan River.After the construction of the capital(ca.3400 cal year BP),forest reduced(13%)and farmlands increased(33%)in the region.Combined with the archeological data and geological evidence,we suggested that: Before the construction of the capital,the climate around the Anyang City was warm and humid,and the region was rich in forest resources,which provided sufficient building materials and fuel resources for ancient Shang people;Villages and farmlands scatter distributed along the Huan River,which provided plentiful food for the people,and human resource for the city construction.In addition,regional topography and hydrological condition also provided a favorable guarantee for the construction of the city.So the construction of the capital,the expansion of human activities,especially the intensification of cultivation,had a significant influence on the natural landscape.