A05_P14

Radiocarbon dating of Xiawangdu neolithic site at coastal plain in eastern China and its environmental settings

Zhang H¹,  Lin P¹, Gu Y¹, Wu J¹, Lu H¹

¹School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

The lower Yangtze region in China, with varied coastal environments and a flourishing Neolithic culture, was one of the major rice domestication centers in Asia. Sedentary societies occupied the Lower Yangtze in the eastern coastal regions of China at the beginning of the Holocene. In present day China, the region is highly developed, densely populated, and is commonly referred to as “the land of fish and rice.” Environmental changes, such as climate, vegetation, and sea-level rise, play major roles in supporting sustainable development. A detailed radiocarbon dating of the Neolithic sites is critical to understand the relationship between the process of domestication and climate variability and sea-level rise. And, furthermore, help to accurate predict future climate change impacts, including recent global warming and on-going sea-level rise, thereby benefitting societies and their economies. Here we present the results of 36 radiocarbon datings(including TOC, pollen concentration, seeds and wood)and 24 grain-size analyses from Xiawangdu neolithic site in the Ningshao Plain, southern part of the lower Yangtze which in cluding both Hemudu and Liangzhu cultural stages. The results show that Xiawangdu site was fromed older than 6300 cal. yr BP when Hemudu culture was declining and the Lianghzu culture started developing at about 5200 cal. yr BP. Radiocarbon dating of TOC and pollen concentration are usually older than the actual stratigraphic age because participation of organic matter from source areas. The prosperity of Hemudu culture may be rising by the increasing of regional precipitation and suitable environment.