Research progress on the relationship between Paleolithic hominid activities and environmental changes in the Nihewan Basin

doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0004

Abstract

Abstract:

The Nihewan Basin in northern China has the largest number, densest distribution and most complete chronological sequence of Paleolithic hominid remains, and as such is an ideal region for the research on Paleolithic hominins and environment. Based on published data of 65 Paleolithic sites (groups) in the Yangyuan and Yuxian basins of the Nihewan, this paper discusses the relationship between Paleolithic hominid activities and environmental changes during Pleistocene. The results are as follows. 1. Sites of early Pleistocene mainly appeared 1.8 to 1.0 Ma BP, and were distributed in the northern margin area of the Cenjiawan platform. In the Middle Pleistocene (i.e., after 0.78 Ma BP), with reduction of the paleolake, the range of hominid sites expanded significantly from the Early Pleistocen. These sites were distributed not only in the southern margin of the Cenjiawan platform and the Yuxian basin, but also in the other margins of the ancient lake, such as the central and western parts of the Yangyuan basin. In the Late Pleistocene (i.e., after 0.126 Ma BP), the range of hominid sites further expanded, but with the gradual disappearance of the Nihewan paleolake and the formation of the Sanggan and Huliu rivers, the distribution pattern of sites changed to concentrate on the river terraces reflecting a dependence on water sources. 2. More than 80% of Early-Middle Pleistocene hominid sites correspond to the low Earth Orbit Eccentricity, and more than 70% sites correspond to the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) interglacial stage, which showed that the climate was relatively warm and with small fluctuations; suitable climate conditions for hominins. 3. During periods of hominin occupation, plant types are mostly steppe dominated by Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae, or forest-steppe dominated by Pinus, mixed with some broad-leaf tree species such as Betula, Ulmus and Quercus. The overall biodiversity was high, which provided not only rich food sources but also relatively wide spaces for hominin occupation. 4. In the Late Pleistocene, advances in stone technology and the use of fire, humans began to appear in later cold glacial periods.

Key words: Nihewan Basin, Paleolithic, Hominid activities, Environmental characteristics

CLC Number:

ZHANG Zhen, WANG Ying, LI Yuecong. Research progress on the relationship between Paleolithic hominid activities and environmental changes in the Nihewan Basin[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2024, 43(01): 184-198.

Figures/Tables 4

Fig.1 Geographical location and distribution of the Paleolithic sites in the Nihewan Basin

Fig.2 Synthetic profile of the Quaternary deposit and the distribution of Paleolithic sites(Modified from [28])

Fig.3 Pleistocene geomorphic reconstruction and Paleolithic sites distribution in Nihewan Basin （Modified from [70]）

Fig.4 Comparison of major sites in the Nihewan Basin with the Earth Orbit Eccentricity and the Marine Isotope Stage records

References 82

[1]	夏正楷, 张俊娜. 中国环境考古学的兴起、发展和展望[J]. 古地理学报, 2019, 21(1): 175-188
[2]	张东菊, 陈发虎. 中国北方地区旧石器时代环境考古学研究进展[J]. 海洋地质与第四纪地质, 2013, 33(4): 55-66
[3]	杨晓燕, 夏正楷. 中国环境考古学研究综述[J]. 地球科学进展, 2001, 6: 761-768
[4]	杨晓燕, 夏正楷, 崔之久. 环境考古学发展回顾与展望[J]. 北京大学学报:自然科学版, 2005, 2) 329-334
[5]	朱诚, 吴立, 李兰, 等. 长江流域全新世环境考古研究进展[J]. 地理学报, 2014, 69(9): 1268-1283 doi: 10.11821/dlxb201409003
[6]	崔建新, 周尚哲, 常宏. 全新世环境考古研究进展[J]. 冰川冻土, 2005, 6: 913-919
[7]	邓成龙, 郝青振, 郭正堂, 等. 中国第四纪综合地层和时间框架[J]. 中国科学:地球科学, 2019, 49(1): 330-352
[8]	杨石霞, 裴树文, 邓成龙. 早-中更新世中国古人类演化及其与气候环境的关系[J]. 人类学学报, 2021, 40(3): 436-453
[9]	陆莹, 孙雪峰, 王社江, 等. 早、中更新世中国古人类年代序列与区域演化特征[J]. 人类学学报, 2021, 40(3): 411-426
[10]	张文超. 孢粉揭示的秦岭地区更新世环境变化及其对古人类活动的影响[D]. 南京: 南京大学, 2017, 1-139
[11]	Sun XF, Lu HY, Wang SJ, et al. Hominin distribution in glacial-interglacial environmental changes in the Qinling Mountains range, central China[J]. Quaternary Science Reviews, 2018, 198: 37-55 doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.08.012 URL
[12]	袁宝印, 夏正楷, 牛平山. 泥河湾裂谷与古人类[M]. 北京: 地质出版社, 2011, 1-257
[13]	谢飞, 李珺, 刘连强. 泥河湾旧石器文化[M]. 石家庄: 花山文艺出版社, 2006, 1-27
[14]	谢飞. 泥河湾[M]. 北京: 文物出版社, 2006, 1-330
[15]	李罡. 泥河湾盆地考古史研究[D]. 保定: 河北大学, 2018, 1-194
[16]	Zhu RX, Hoffman KA, Potts R, et al. Earliest presence of humans in Northeast Asia[J]. Nature, 2001, 413: 413-417 doi: 10.1038/35096551
[17]	Zhu RX, Potts R, Xie F, et al. New evidence on the earliest human presence at high northern latitudes in Northeast Asia[J]. Nature, 2004, 431: 559-562 doi: 10.1038/nature02829
[18]	姬凌飞. 桑干河流域旧石器时代晚期文化与环境关系研究[D]. 太原: 山西大学, 2017, 1-57
[19]	Yang SX, Wang FG, Xie F, et al. Technological innovations at the onset of the Mid-Pleistocene Climate Transition in high-latitude East Asia[J]. National Science Review, 2021, 8(1): 1-11
[20]	Yang SX, Deng CL, Zhu RX, et al. The Paleolithic in the Nihewan Basin, China: Evolutionary history of an Early to Late Pleistocene record in Eastern Asia[J]. Evolutionary Anthropology, 2020, 29(2): 125-142 doi: 10.1002/evan.v29.3 URL
[21]	卫奇. 泥河湾盆地半山早更新世旧石器遗址初探[J]. 人类学学报, 1994(3): 223-238
[22]	裴树文. 泥河湾盆地大长梁旧石器地点[J]. 人类学学报, 2002, 21(2): 116-125
[23]	Wang HQ, Deng CL, Zhu RX, et al. Magnetostratigraphic dating of the Donggutuo and Maliang Paleolithic sites in the Nihewan Basin, North China[J]. Quaternary Research, 2005, 64(1): 1-11 doi: 10.1016/j.yqres.2005.04.001 URL
[24]	贾真秀, 裴树文, 马宁, 等. 泥河湾盆地麻地沟E6和E7旧石器地点发掘简报[J]. 人类学学报, 2016, 35(3): 343-358
[25]	李潇丽, 贾真秀, 裴树文, 等. 泥河湾盆地麻地沟遗址地层易溶盐沉积及其环境意义[J]. 海洋地质与第四纪地质, 2016, 36(3): 151-159
[26]	Ao H, Deng CL, Dekkers MJ, et al. Magnetic mineral dissolution in Pleistocene fluvio-lacustrine sediments, Nihewan Basin (North China)[J]. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2010, 292(1-2): 191-200 doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2010.01.035 URL
[27]	Yang JX, Zhang Z, Li YC, et al. Environment of the Early Pleistocene Banshan Paleolithic site in the Nihewan Basin, North China[J]. Frontiers in Earth Science, 2022, 10: 830798 doi: 10.3389/feart.2022.830798 URL
[28]	卫奇, 吴秀杰. 许家窑-侯家窑遗址地层穷究[J]. 人类学学报, 2012, 31(2): 151-163
[29]	李月丛, 许清海, 阳小兰. 河北阳原县飞梁遗址孢粉分析[J]. 地理学与国土研究, 1996, 12: 55-59
[30]	谢飞, 李珺. 岑家湾旧石器时代早期文化遗物及地点性质的研究[J]. 人类学学报, 1993, 12(3): 224-234
[31]	冯兴无, 侯亚梅. 泥河湾盆地霍家地发现的旧石器[J]. 人类学学报, 1998, 4: 66-72
[32]	朱日祥, 邓成龙, 潘永信. 泥河湾盆地磁性地层定年与早期人类演化[J]. 第四纪研究, 2007, 27(6): 922-944
[33]	邱亚会, 李永项, 敖红, 等. 华北早更新世哺乳动物群的磁性地层年代序列与古环境关系:兼论对古人类活动的指示意义[J]. 第四纪研究, 2018, 38(5): 1268-1292
[34]	同号文, 张贝, 陈曦, 等. 泥河湾盆地早更新世山神庙咀遗址动物群及其时代意义[J]. 人类学学报, 2021, 40(3):469-489
[35]	许清海, 王子惠, 阳小兰, 等. 根据孢粉分析推测岑家湾旧石器时代遗址古人类生活时的气候与环境[J]. 见:河北省文物研究所(编). 河北省考古文集[C]. 北京:东方出版社, 1998, 505-513
[36]	Li XL, Pei SW, Jia ZX, et al. Paleoenvironmental conditions at Madigou (MDG), a newly discovered Early Paleolithic site in the Nihewan Basin, North China[J]. Quaternary International, 2016, 400: 100-110 doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2015.07.071 URL
[37]	裴树文, 李潇丽, 刘德成, 等. 泥河湾盆地东谷坨遗址古人类生存环境探讨[J]. 科学通报, 2009, 54(19): 2898-2901
[38]	裴树文, 马东东, 贾真秀, 等. 蔚县盆地吉家庄旧石器遗址发掘报告[J]. 人类学学报, 2018, 37(4): 510-528
[39]	左天文, 成洪江, 刘平, 等. 泥河湾盆地后沟旧石器遗址的磁性地层学定年[J]. 中国科学:地球科学, 2012, 42(1):94-102
[40]	侯亚梅, 刘扬, 李英华, 等. 泥河湾盆地三棵树旧石器遗址2008年试掘报告[J]. 人类学学报, 2010, 29(3): 227-241
[41]	姬昊, 刘春茹, 宋为娟, 等. 泥河湾盆地三棵树遗址ESR年代学[J]. 人类学学报, 2021, 40(3): 427-435
[42]	刘春茹, 尹功明, 高璐, 等. 泥河湾盆地东坡遗址ESR年代学初步研究[J]. 第四纪研究, 2009, 29(1): 166-172
[43]	Guo YJ, Li B, Zhang JF, et al. Luminescence ages for three ‘Middle Paleolithic’ sites in the Nihewan Basin, northern China, and their archaeological and palaeoenvironmental implications[J]. Quaternary Research, 2016, 85(3): 456-470 doi: 10.1016/j.yqres.2016.03.002 URL
[44]	李曼玥, 张生瑞, 许清海, 等. 侯家窑遗址地层、年代与形成环境的新认识[J]. 古生物学报, 2016, 55(1):122-135
[45]	李曼玥. 侯家窑遗址地层、年代与形成环境[D]. 石家庄: 河北师范大学, 2016, 1-104
[46]	王法岗. 侯家窑遗址综合研究[D]. 石家庄: 河北师范大学, 2016, 1-205
[47]	王法岗. 侯家窑遗址2007-2012发掘地层的新认识[J]. 文物春秋, 2015, 6: 15-22
[48]	李想. 禾尧庄-侯家窑遗址区古人类生存环境抉择[D]. 石家庄: 河北师范大学, 2018, 1-60
[49]	浑凌云, 许清海, 张生瑞, 等. 河北阳原侯家窑遗址孢粉组合特征及揭示的古环境与古气候演变[J]. 第四纪研究, 2011, 31(6): 951-961
[50]	穆会双, 许清海, 张生瑞, 等. 孢粉资料定量重建泥河湾盆地侯家窑遗址时期的古气候[J]. 第四纪研究, 2015, 35(3): 698-711
[51]	李潇丽. 泥河湾盆地吉家庄遗址地层易溶盐沉积记录的古气候信息[J]. 海洋地质与第四纪地质, 2020, 40(5): 149-159
[52]	叶芷, 杜雨薇, 裴树文, 等. 蔚县盆地吉家庄旧石器遗址的形成过程[J]. 人类学学报, 2023, 42(1): 46-60
[53]	马东东, 牛东伟, 裴树文, 等. 蔚县盆地2017-2018年旧石器考古调查简报[J]. 人类学学报, 2021, 40 (1): 128-136
[54]	贾真秀, 张兴龙, 裴树文. 泥河湾盆地西白马营旧石器遗址新材料[J]. 人类学学报, 2015, 34(3): 299-306
[55]	周振宇, 王法岗, 李罡, 等. 河北阳原县西白马营旧石器时代遗址2015年试掘简报[J]. 考古, 2019, 10: 3-14
[56]	谢飞, 李珺. 籍箕滩旧石器时代晚期细石器遗址[J]. 文物春秋, 1993, 2: 1-22
[57]	关莹, 周振宇, 王晓敏, 等. 河北阳原泥河湾盆地籍箕滩遗址发现的新材料[J]. 人类学学报, 2021, 40(1): 137-145
[58]	夏正楷, 陈福友, 陈戈, 等. 我国北方泥河湾盆地新-旧石器文化过渡的环境背景[J]. 中国科学(D辑:地球科学), 2001, 5: 393-400
[59]	朱之勇. 虎头梁遗址中的锛状器[J]. 北方文物, 2008, 2: 3-8
[60]	朱之勇, 高星. 虎头梁遗址中的细石器技术[J]. 人类学学报, 2007, 4: 305-310
[61]	任进成, 王法岗, 李锋, 等. 泥河湾盆地板井子旧石器时代遗址的形成过程[J]. 人类学学报, 2021, 40(3): 378-392
[62]	王法岗. 泥河湾盆地板井子遗址调查研究[J]. 文物春秋, 2017(4): 21-29
[63]	梅惠杰, 张贝, 雷华蕊, 等. 河北蔚县南柏山遗址晚更新世河套大角鹿角化石[J]. 人类学学报, 2023, 42(2): 225-237
[64]	李泽涛, 李冰, 李月丛, 等. 泥河湾盆地油房剖面旧石器时代中期到晚期文化过渡的环境背景[J]. 第四纪研究, 2017, 37(3): 463-473
[65]	王晓敏, 王法岗, 陈福友, 等. 泥河湾盆地板井子晚更新世遗址古人类对动物资源的消费策略[J]. 人类学学报, 2022, 41(6): 1005-1016
[66]	李罡, 任雪岩, 李珺. 泥河湾盆地二道梁旧石器时代晚期遗址发掘简报[J]. 人类学学报, 2016, 35(4): 509-521
[67]	袁宝印, 同号文, 温锐林, 等. 泥河湾古湖的形成机制及其与早期古人类生存环境的关系[J]. 地质力学学报, 2009, 15(1): 77-87
[68]	夏正楷, 刘锡清. 泥河湾层古地理环境的初步认识[J]. 海洋地质与第四纪地质, 1984, 3: 101-110
[69]	夏正楷. 泥河湾层的研究现状和展望[J]. 第四纪研究, 2001, 3: 262-269
[70]	庞其清, 牛树银, 赵筑簾, 等. 泥河湾盆地晚新生代地层和微体古生物及地质环境演化[M]. 北京: 地质出版社, 2023, 1-334
[71]	吴文祥. 试论早期人类占据河湾盆地的时代[J]. 地球学报, 2002, 3: 249-253
[72]	吴文祥, 刘东生. 泥河湾与黄土高原地层对比及其旧石器文化序列[J]. 地球科学进展, 2002, 1: 33-38
[73]	Bae CJ, Li F, Cheng LL, et al. Hominin distribution and density patterns in Pleistocene China: Climatic influences[J]. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2018, 512: 118-131 doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.03.015 URL
[74]	Shen C, Zhang XL, Gao X. Zhoukoudian in transition: Research history, lithic technologies, and transformation of Chinese Palaeolithic archaeology[J]. Quaternary international, 2016, 400: 4-13 doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2015.10.001 URL
[75]	Laskar J, Robutel P, Joutel F, et al. A long-term numerical solution for the insolation quantities of the Earth[J]. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2004, 428: 261-285 doi: 10.1051/0004-6361:20041335 URL
[76]	Lisiecki LE, Raymo ME. A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic δ18O records[J]. Paleoceanography, 2005, 20: PA1003
[77]	Li YC, Zhang Z, Ding GQ, et al. Late Pliocene and early Pleistocene vegetation and climate change revealed by a pollen record from Nihewan Basin, North China. Quaternary Science Reviews, 2019, 222: 105905 doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.105905 URL
[78]	Zhang Z, Li YC, Ding GQ, et al. Astronomical forcing of vegetation and climate change during the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene of the Nihewan Basin, North China[J]. Quaternary International, 2022, 613: 1-13 doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2021.07.017 URL
[79]	Da SQ, Zhang Z, Li YC, et al. Pollen-based quantitative paleoclimatic record spanning the Mid-Brunhes Event in the Nihewan Basin, north China[J]. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2023, 612: 111377 doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.111377 URL
[80]	卫奇. 泥河湾盆地西沟旧石器及其石片分类[J]. 文物春秋, 2009, 2: 3-10
[81]	赵海龙, 谭培阳, 孙雪峰, 等. 河北泥河湾盆地油房北旧石器地点的发现与研究[J]. 第四纪研究, 2021, 41(1): 164-177
[82]	Wang FG, Yang SX, Ge JY, et al. Innovative ochre processing and tool use in China 40000 years ago[J]. Nature, 2022, 603: 284-289 doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04445-2