Late-Holocene vegetation change reveals the environment of ancient people and the origin of Huashan cliff paintings in Guangxi, southwestern China

A pollen record from the Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape reveals that mixed broad-leaf and conifer forests dominated the region during the period of cliff painting creation (2370–2115 cal. yr BP), providing key materials for ancient artworks. The study suggests that a humid climate facilitated human activities, while short-term droughts may have triggered social instability, including warfare. This research highlights the interplay between environmental conditions and human civilization in southwestern China, emphasizing the need to integrate natural and socio-political analyses to understand ancient cultural practices.

Li, K., Zhang, Y., Liao, M., Ni, J., & Chen, Y. (2020). Late-Holocene vegetation change reveals the environment of ancient people and the origin of Huashan cliff paintings in Guangxi, southwestern China. The Holocene, 30(9), 1296–1309. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683620919980