Alternative Adaptation Strategy during the Paleolithic–Neolithic Transition: Potential Use of Aquatic Resources in the Western Middle Yangtze Valley, China
The middle Yangtze Valley is an important region for studying the origin of rice agriculture. Archaeological remains of rice have been found in sites such as Pengtoushan and Bashidang as early as 8000 years ago. However, we know little about the adaptive diversity in this region as research has most...
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2020-09-01
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| Series: | Quaternary |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/3/3/28 |
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doaj-9e52a5ac37464768b0d5c4aedc6502132020-11-25T01:38:56ZengMDPI AGQuaternary2571-550X2020-09-013282810.3390/quat3030028Alternative Adaptation Strategy during the Paleolithic–Neolithic Transition: Potential Use of Aquatic Resources in the Western Middle Yangtze Valley, ChinaRuizhe Liu0Hui Liu1Shengqian Chen2Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USAHubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Wuhan 430077, ChinaDepartment of History, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, ChinaThe middle Yangtze Valley is an important region for studying the origin of rice agriculture. Archaeological remains of rice have been found in sites such as Pengtoushan and Bashidang as early as 8000 years ago. However, we know little about the adaptive diversity in this region as research has mostly focused on rice cultivation. With the help of new discoveries, this paper explores another adaptation behavior pattern that emphasizes the utilization of aquatic resources in the western part of the Jianghan Plain during the Paleolithic–Neolithic transition. Although the sea level was continuously rising with the warming process of early Holocene, the lakes that later became widely distributed were still in formation, thus not available for human utilization in the middle Yangtze Valley. However, most notably, the amelioration of the environment was producing a sort of new niche: utilizing aquatic resources became possible at least in parts of this region. A case study from the Guanzhou Site, based on lithics, suggests there were increasing demands for the utilization of aquatic resources. The study proposes that at least two different adaptation strategy changes occurred in the western Jianghan Plain during the Paleolithic–Neolithic transition, i.e., rice agriculture or complex hunting–gathering. These strategies represent adaptations to the different ecological conditions at the crossroads of habitat types.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/3/3/28complex hunting–gatheringPaleolithic–Neolithic transitionaquatic utilizationChina |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
English |
| format |
Article |
| sources |
DOAJ |
| author |
Ruizhe Liu Hui Liu Shengqian Chen |
| spellingShingle |
Ruizhe Liu Hui Liu Shengqian Chen Alternative Adaptation Strategy during the Paleolithic–Neolithic Transition: Potential Use of Aquatic Resources in the Western Middle Yangtze Valley, China Quaternary complex hunting–gathering Paleolithic–Neolithic transition aquatic utilization China |
| author_facet |
Ruizhe Liu Hui Liu Shengqian Chen |
| author_sort |
Ruizhe Liu |
| title |
Alternative Adaptation Strategy during the Paleolithic–Neolithic Transition: Potential Use of Aquatic Resources in the Western Middle Yangtze Valley, China |
| title_short |
Alternative Adaptation Strategy during the Paleolithic–Neolithic Transition: Potential Use of Aquatic Resources in the Western Middle Yangtze Valley, China |
| title_full |
Alternative Adaptation Strategy during the Paleolithic–Neolithic Transition: Potential Use of Aquatic Resources in the Western Middle Yangtze Valley, China |
| title_fullStr |
Alternative Adaptation Strategy during the Paleolithic–Neolithic Transition: Potential Use of Aquatic Resources in the Western Middle Yangtze Valley, China |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Alternative Adaptation Strategy during the Paleolithic–Neolithic Transition: Potential Use of Aquatic Resources in the Western Middle Yangtze Valley, China |
| title_sort |
alternative adaptation strategy during the paleolithic–neolithic transition: potential use of aquatic resources in the western middle yangtze valley, china |
| publisher |
MDPI AG |
| series |
Quaternary |
| issn |
2571-550X |
| publishDate |
2020-09-01 |
| description |
The middle Yangtze Valley is an important region for studying the origin of rice agriculture. Archaeological remains of rice have been found in sites such as Pengtoushan and Bashidang as early as 8000 years ago. However, we know little about the adaptive diversity in this region as research has mostly focused on rice cultivation. With the help of new discoveries, this paper explores another adaptation behavior pattern that emphasizes the utilization of aquatic resources in the western part of the Jianghan Plain during the Paleolithic–Neolithic transition. Although the sea level was continuously rising with the warming process of early Holocene, the lakes that later became widely distributed were still in formation, thus not available for human utilization in the middle Yangtze Valley. However, most notably, the amelioration of the environment was producing a sort of new niche: utilizing aquatic resources became possible at least in parts of this region. A case study from the Guanzhou Site, based on lithics, suggests there were increasing demands for the utilization of aquatic resources. The study proposes that at least two different adaptation strategy changes occurred in the western Jianghan Plain during the Paleolithic–Neolithic transition, i.e., rice agriculture or complex hunting–gathering. These strategies represent adaptations to the different ecological conditions at the crossroads of habitat types. |
| topic |
complex hunting–gathering Paleolithic–Neolithic transition aquatic utilization China |
| url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/3/3/28 |
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