中晚全新世通天河流域古人类活动及环境背景:以参雄尕朔为例

Anthropogenic activities and environmental context during the Middle to Late Holocene in the Tongtian River Basin: a case study of Canxiong Gashuo

关键词:  全新世  参雄尕朔遗址  环境变化  人类活动

Key words:  Holocene  Canxiong Gashuo  environmental change  human activity

摘要:

青藏高原腹地是研究环境变化与人类活动的重要地区，文章以位于青藏高原腹地通天河河畔的参雄尕朔 （CXGS） 遗址剖面 （深度为105 cm） 为研究对象，旨在探究该区域全新世以来环境演变与史前人类活动的耦合关系。对CXGS剖面开展系统的年代学框架建立及高分辨率环境样品采集，综合运用粒度、磁化率、色度及孢粉等环境代用指标进行分析，结果表明：CXGS剖面最深年代约9.85 cal. ka BP； 全新世大暖期（8.3—7.8 cal. ka BP）时温暖湿润的气候与较佳的植被，为细石器人群开展狩猎采集活动提供适宜的自然条件，史前人类很可能在高低海拔间迁移进行季节性的狩猎采集活动；全新世晚期 （3.5—1.2 cal. ka BP）气候趋于冷干，但耐寒的麦类作物与羊的传入及牦牛的驯化，使得高寒畜牧业产生并逐渐普及，人类活动增强，其对高原的占据与适应能力大大提升。该高分辨率环境记录为理解高原腹地极端环境下的人类适应策略提供了关键证据。未来研究可进一步结合区域考古遗址时空分布数据，深入探讨史前人群“季节性迁移”模式的具体路线与驱动力。

Abstract:

Background, aim, and scope The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, often referred to as the “Third Pole of the Earth,” is one of the highest and most extreme environments on the planet, characterized by cold and harsh climatic conditions. Prehistoric human activities on this plateau have attracted considerable attention due to the complex interactions between humans and their environment. Investigating how prehistoric populations survived and adapted to such extreme conditions, as well as the coupling relationship between human activities and environmental change, is crucial for understanding human resilience and adaptability. This study focuses on the Canxiong Gashuo (CXGS) site, located along the Tongtian River in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, with the aim of exploring the relationship between environmental evolution and prehistoric human activities since the Holocene. Materials and methods Environmental proxies, including grain size, magnetic susceptibility, chromaticity, and pollen, as well as charcoal samples for radiocarbon dating, were collected from the CXGS profile with a 105-cm depth. Analytical approaches from chronology, environmental archaeology, and palynology were employed to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions and assess human-environment interactions. Results The results indicate that the basal age of the CXGS profile is about 9.85 cal. ka BP, during the Holocene Climatic Optimum (8.3—7.8 cal. ka BP), the regional climate was warm and humid, promoting extensive vegetation cover. These favorable conditions likely supported seasonal hunting activities by microlithic populations in the plateau hinterland. In contrast, during the Late Holocene (3.5—1.2 cal. kaBP), sediment grain size became coarser and magnetic susceptibility decreased, while multiple environmental proxies suggest a shift toward cooler and drier conditions. Discussion The environmental records from the CXGS profile suggest that during the Holocene Climatic Optimum, warm and humid conditions with dense vegetation cover created a favorable ecological setting. Combined with archaeological evidence such as microlithic tools, this indicates that prehistoric populations likely engaged in seasonal hunting and gathering, possibly migrating between high and low altitudes. During the Late Holocene, coarser sediment grain size and intensified aeolian activity reflect increasing aridity and cooling across the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Despite these harsher conditions, evidence of human activity became more prominent. The introduction of barley cultivation and yak domestication provided critical subsistence strategies, enabling prehistoric populations to persist under increasingly adverse climatic conditions. This highlights the remarkable adaptability of humans to extreme environments. Conclusions The warm and humid climate during the Holocene Climatic Optimum, along with improved vegetation cover, provided suitable conditions for microlithic populations to conduct seasonal hunting and gathering activities, likely involving altitudinal mobility. In the Late Holocene, although the climate became colder and drier, the introduction of cold-resistant crops and the development of pastoralism, particularly the domestication of yaks, facilitated the expansion and intensification of human activities. These adaptive strategies significantly enhanced human occupation and resilience on the plateau. Recommendations and perspectives This study provides new insights into how prehistoric populations adapted to harsh climatic conditions and sustained their livelihoods in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The high-resolution environmental records presented here offer important evidence for understanding human adaptive strategies in extreme environments. Future research should integrate spatial and temporal distributions of regional archaeological sites to further investigate the routes and driving mechanisms of seasonal migration patterns in prehistoric populations.