Holocene environmental change and its influence on the prehistoric culture evolution and the formation of the Taosi site in Linfen basin, Shanxi province, China

Abstract

The Taosi site (4300–4000 BP) in the southern Linfen basin of Shanxi province is regarded as one of the most important large settlement sites prior to the origin of Chinese civilization, but the environmental context of its formation remains unclear. In this paper, we reconstruct the Holocene environment, based on analyses of OSL dates, pollen, grain sizes, magnetic susceptibilities, and trace elements of the two loess-paleosol profiles in Linfen basin, and discuss its influence on Neolithic cultural evolution in the area, and the formation of the Taosi site. The results indicate that the climate was warm and wet ca. 9.0–4.9 ka, promoting the development of the Neolithic cultures during that period in the Linfen basin. Climate turned cool and dry after 4.9 ka, and settlements concentrated in the valleys of the large rivers resulting in greater culture development and increasing political centralization. The development of Neolithic cultures coupled with paleosol enriched in micronutrient elements in Linfen basin provided a cultural basis and material basis for the Taosi culture. The central geographic location of the Taosi culture amidst various other early Chinese cultures contributed to the flourishing of the culture and the formation of the Taosi site as a major protourban settlement that influenced further evolution of Chinese social systems.