HU Jin-ming, CUI Hai-ting, LI Yi-yin
Using the field archaeological data and some research results in archaeology and environmental evolution, this paper analyzes the historic evolution of the cultural landscapes and natural landscape since the Holocene in the Xiliao River Basin. Based on the historic evolution of natural and cultural landscapes, the authors systematically reconstruct the coupling evolution history of man-land system and unveil the interactional mechanisms between human and nature in the Xiliao River Basin.During the earlier Holocene, evolution of pre-historic cultures, including Xiaohexi Culture and Xinglongwa Culture, had been closely linked with climatic evolution. Climatic changes into warm and humid resulted in the germination and development of the pre-historic cultures, while decline of pre-historic cultures had close relationship with climatic deterioration. During the middle period of the Holocene from Zhaobaogou Culture to Lower Layer Culture of Xiajiadian, prosperity and decline of cultures correlated with multifold factors. Evolution of natural landscape was the external driving force. While humańs cultural accumulation, inter-regional cultural diffusion and intercommunication were the internal driving forces. Humańs disturbances upon natural landscape would feed back to cultural landscapes and influence the development of cultures. Cultural transformation between Upper Layer Culture and Lower Layer Culture of Xiajiadian was a gradual changing process. Climatic change was the main driving force, while inter-regional cultural communication further advanced the development of animal husbandry of Upper Layer Culture of Xiajiadian.During historic period, multifold factors, such as prosperity and decline of the Han and minority dynasties, ethnic policy of the Han dynasties, cultural intercommunication between the Han nationality and minority, development of social productivity level, changes of natural environment, etc, comprehensively acted on the evolution of cultural landscapes. In fact, it was the ebb and flow of different nationś cultures, which were the most important. Development of culture and productivity level promoted humańs ability to adapt to and remodel nature, and culture played more and more important role in the evolution of man-land system.
