Distribution of Neolithic Sites and Environmental Change in Huaihe River Basin, Anhui Province
安徽淮河流域全新世环境演变对新石器遗址分布的影响

Huaihe River basin in Anhui is not only a transitional zone of physical geography,but also an interaction area of many cultures in China. Fishing and hunting played thedominant roles in Shishanzi cultural period; fishing and hunting as well as farming were equalimportant in Dawenkou cultural period; and priority was given to farming over fishing andhunting in Longshan cultural period. Using the field archaeological data and the sporo-pollenand age data of the drilling cores, we analysed Neolithic cultural development andenvironmental evolution in Huaihe River basin, Anhui, and discussed the relationship betweenculture and environment in the area by combining archaeological research results withresearches of environmental evolution. The Neolithic cultural development was stronglyimpacted by the environmental change. The primitive culture (Shishanzi) was developed in thebeginning of Holocene Megathermal Period when regional feature of culture was distinct.From 6.5 kaBP to 5.5 kaBP, the climate became warmer and wetter. Flood and waterlogfrequently occurred. As a consequence of the impact of such a climate and high sea level, theenvironment of the earth's surface deteriorated in Huaihe River basin, Anhui, causing theinterruption of the Neolithic cultural development and the lack of archaeological sites. From5.5 kaBP to 4.0 kaBP, the climate changed from wet to dry, the natural environment wasfavorable to human survival. Dawenkou Culture and Longshan Culture flourished in thisperiod. The Neolithic cultural development, the amount of the sites and their distributioncharacteristics in Huaihe River basin of Anhui differed apparently from those in central Chinaand Shandong Province.