Abstract:

Extreme climate events and the transformation of early human economic patterns have been a hot topic in the field of global change. However, there is a lack of research on the impact of 9200 BP climate events on prehistoric human behavior. Guangxi is one of the important regions in the Pearl River basin. It has a unique geographical landscape pattern and unique vegetation and climate background. It is not only a key area for prehistoric migration and cultural exchange, but also an ideal refuge for dealing with climate change and events. It is a rare experimental field for studying human survival patterns and environmental adaptation. Due to factors such as humid and hot climate and acidic soil in Guangxi region, the preservation of organic matter remains is poor. And the morphological characteristics of phytoliths are significant, with important characteristics such as corrosion resistance and easy preservation. Phytolith analysis has become an important and effective research method for obtaining plant relic information in acidic soil environments in southern China. In addition, pollen analysis can provide important information for reconstructing the environmental background of archaeological sites and has an irreplaceable role. In this paper, based on AMS ¹⁴C chronology, phytolith and pollen records, we analyzed the climatic background and economic model of the Neolithic culture at Jiangxi’an site of Chongzuo, Guangxi. Our results show that the Neolithic age of Jiangxi’an site in Guangxi is 9300-9100 BP, and the surrounding environment of the site showed an obvious trend of cooling and drying during the 9200 BP climate event. At that stage of time, plant resources available to humans were reduced, while a large number of snail and mussel shells, and the remains of aquatic animals and mammals such as buffalo, rhinoceros and elephants were found. Rich fishing and hunting tools were found in the strata as well. These results suggested that during the cold and dry period of 9200 BP fishing and hunting might be a better choice for human beings resided on Jiangxi’an site in Guangxi, based on the decrease in the number of collected plant remains. This ecological environment may have prompted foragers to change their adaptation models, reduce their dependence on collection and hunting, and shift towards fishing and hunting. The changes in survival strategies of the early Neolithic population may be closely related to environmental adaptation and changes in activity range. This study provides new ideas and clues for a deeper understanding of the interaction between important climate events in the early Holocene of the Asian monsoon region and cultural development in the Neolithic period.

Key words: climate event, Guangxi, phytolith analysis, pollen analysis, human life style