Date of Award
10-14-2024
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Type
Dissertation
Abstract
This dissertation investigates the environmental dynamics and chronological developments at Haimenkou, Southwest China, providing a nuanced understanding of human-environment interactions from the late Pleistocene through the Holocene. Utilizing geoarchaeological surveys, particle size analysis, loss-on-ignition, and diatom analysis, this research delineates shifts in landscape and settlement patterns in relation to climatic changes and human activities. The results indicate that adaptation to the wetland environment was gradual, with the extent of landscape modification intensifying over time. This modification involved forest clearance, leading to severe soil erosion on mountain slopes, which subsequently destroyed and buried neighboring settlements to Haimenkou. Through rigorous stratigraphic and radiocarbon analysis, the dissertation refines the chronological framework of settlement and abandonment at Haimenkou, correlating these with broader settlement patterns across mainland Southeast Asia. A novel statistical tool is applied to test for chronological gaps, confirming that the observed gap was due to an occupational hiatus rather than insufficient data or biased sampling. The study addresses a critical phase known as the “Missing Millennia”, a period before the occupation of Haimenkou marked by scant archaeological records and significant ecological and geomorphological transformations in the Mid-Holocene. The findings suggest that the Haimenkou site, positioned strategically along the river systems at the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, served as a dynamic locus for early human settlement, agricultural development, and cultural transitions in mainland Southeast Asia. These results underscore the complex interplay between climatic forces and early human landscape management in shaping the archaeological preservation and environmental history of Southwest China, contributing valuable insights into the broader prehistoric dynamics of Southeast Asia.
Language
English (en)
Chair and Committee
Tristram Kidder
Committee Members
Ilaria Patania; Jennifer Smith; Michael Frachetti; Xinyi Liu
Recommended Citation
Su, Kai, "Human-Environmental Dynamics in prehistoric Southwest China: Environmental Change and Chronology at Haimenkou, Yunnan" (2024). Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3266.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/art_sci_etds/3266