Out-of-phase relationship of Holocene moisture variations between the northeastern and southeastern Tibetan plateau and its societal impacts
It is widely accepted that Holocene climatic and environmental changes had major impacts on socioeconomic development and the evolution of civilization. The eastern margin of the Tibetan plateau (TP) has been an important passageway for south‒north migration of agricultural groups since the late Neo...
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KeAi Communications Co. Ltd.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Fundamental Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667325823000626 |
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| author | Duo Wu Minmin Ma Yongxiu Lu Shilong Guo Tao Wang Xuyi Ma Guanghui Dong |
| author_facet | Duo Wu Minmin Ma Yongxiu Lu Shilong Guo Tao Wang Xuyi Ma Guanghui Dong |
| author_sort | Duo Wu |
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| description | It is widely accepted that Holocene climatic and environmental changes had major impacts on socioeconomic development and the evolution of civilization. The eastern margin of the Tibetan plateau (TP) has been an important passageway for south‒north migration of agricultural groups since the late Neolithic. Prehistoric farmers began to occupy the northeastern Tibetan plateau (NETP) and the area of modern Yunnan Province (YNP), on the southeastern margin of the TP, from ∼5200 BP and ∼4600 BP, respectively. This occupation was potentially closely linked to climatic and environmental changes; however, the spatiotemporal pattern of moisture variations between these two regions, and its possible impact on human settlement and the migration of farming communities along the eastern margin of the TP during the late Neolithic and Bronze Age, are unclear. In the present study, well-dated sedimentary records with unambiguous indicators of humidity variations from the NETP and YNP were integrated, along with radiocarbon dates from human and animal bones and the remains of crop plants from archaeological sites in this region. The results indicate a long-term, out-of-phase relationship of moisture variations between the NETP and YNP during the middle to late Holocene. A mid-late Holocene increase in humidity on the NETP facilitated the development of agropastoral societies during the period of ∼5200‒2200 BP. However, pronounced cooling from ∼5000 BP forced the southward dispersal of millet farming groups along the eastern margin of the TP during the fifth millennium BP. Decreasing moisture in YNP promoted the expansion of an open landscape, which affected the development of agriculture during the period of ∼4600‒2200 BP. Our results suggest that changes in moisture affected the development of prehistoric agriculture in the northeastern and southeastern marginal areas of the TP in different ways, implying that the development of prehistoric human society largely depended on the regional climatic conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a5a41047c44e4c6d9261f4b8400f7734 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-3258 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. |
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| series | Fundamental Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-a5a41047c44e4c6d9261f4b8400f77342025-01-29T05:02:31ZengKeAi Communications Co. Ltd.Fundamental Research2667-32582025-01-0151241248Out-of-phase relationship of Holocene moisture variations between the northeastern and southeastern Tibetan plateau and its societal impactsDuo Wu0Minmin Ma1Yongxiu Lu2Shilong Guo3Tao Wang4Xuyi Ma5Guanghui Dong6Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaCorresponding author.; Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaIt is widely accepted that Holocene climatic and environmental changes had major impacts on socioeconomic development and the evolution of civilization. The eastern margin of the Tibetan plateau (TP) has been an important passageway for south‒north migration of agricultural groups since the late Neolithic. Prehistoric farmers began to occupy the northeastern Tibetan plateau (NETP) and the area of modern Yunnan Province (YNP), on the southeastern margin of the TP, from ∼5200 BP and ∼4600 BP, respectively. This occupation was potentially closely linked to climatic and environmental changes; however, the spatiotemporal pattern of moisture variations between these two regions, and its possible impact on human settlement and the migration of farming communities along the eastern margin of the TP during the late Neolithic and Bronze Age, are unclear. In the present study, well-dated sedimentary records with unambiguous indicators of humidity variations from the NETP and YNP were integrated, along with radiocarbon dates from human and animal bones and the remains of crop plants from archaeological sites in this region. The results indicate a long-term, out-of-phase relationship of moisture variations between the NETP and YNP during the middle to late Holocene. A mid-late Holocene increase in humidity on the NETP facilitated the development of agropastoral societies during the period of ∼5200‒2200 BP. However, pronounced cooling from ∼5000 BP forced the southward dispersal of millet farming groups along the eastern margin of the TP during the fifth millennium BP. Decreasing moisture in YNP promoted the expansion of an open landscape, which affected the development of agriculture during the period of ∼4600‒2200 BP. Our results suggest that changes in moisture affected the development of prehistoric agriculture in the northeastern and southeastern marginal areas of the TP in different ways, implying that the development of prehistoric human society largely depended on the regional climatic conditions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667325823000626Climate changeSpatiotemporal moisture variationNortheastern Tibetan plateauYunnan ProvinceMillet agricultureLate Neolithic and Bronze age |
| spellingShingle | Duo Wu Minmin Ma Yongxiu Lu Shilong Guo Tao Wang Xuyi Ma Guanghui Dong Out-of-phase relationship of Holocene moisture variations between the northeastern and southeastern Tibetan plateau and its societal impacts Fundamental Research Climate change Spatiotemporal moisture variation Northeastern Tibetan plateau Yunnan Province Millet agriculture Late Neolithic and Bronze age |
| title | Out-of-phase relationship of Holocene moisture variations between the northeastern and southeastern Tibetan plateau and its societal impacts |
| title_full | Out-of-phase relationship of Holocene moisture variations between the northeastern and southeastern Tibetan plateau and its societal impacts |
| title_fullStr | Out-of-phase relationship of Holocene moisture variations between the northeastern and southeastern Tibetan plateau and its societal impacts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Out-of-phase relationship of Holocene moisture variations between the northeastern and southeastern Tibetan plateau and its societal impacts |
| title_short | Out-of-phase relationship of Holocene moisture variations between the northeastern and southeastern Tibetan plateau and its societal impacts |
| title_sort | out of phase relationship of holocene moisture variations between the northeastern and southeastern tibetan plateau and its societal impacts |
| topic | Climate change Spatiotemporal moisture variation Northeastern Tibetan plateau Yunnan Province Millet agriculture Late Neolithic and Bronze age |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667325823000626 |
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