Cultural response to Middle Holocene sea‐level fluctuations in eastern China: a multi‐proxy approach

A multi-proxy analysis reveals that the Hemudu Culture's dispersal and settlement patterns in eastern China were significantly influenced by Middle Holocene sea-level fluctuations. The study, focusing on the Xiawangdu site in Hangzhou Bay, demonstrates that cultural diffusion occurred between 6200 and 5600 cal. a BP, coinciding with marine transgression, followed by adaptation to coastal lagoon and freshwater wetland environments around 5300 cal. a BP. Evidence from pollen, phytoliths, and diatoms indicates early rice domestication by 5600 cal. a BP, highlighting the profound impact of environmental changes on subsistence strategies and settlement choices during this period.

He, K.-Y., Lu, H.-Y., Li, Y.-N., Ding, F.-Y., Zhang, J., & Wang, C. (2019). Cultural response to Middle Holocene sea‐level fluctuations in eastern China: a multi‐proxy approach. Boreas, 49(1), 71–88. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/bor.12421