Relationship between temporal-spatial distribution of Mid-Holocene sites and climate evolution in southern Shanxi

Based on ArcGIS 10.8 platform and combined with the nearest neighbor index, kernel density analysis, and standard deviation ellipse, the spatial and temporal evolution of 1415 sites in the Mid-Holocene in the southern Shanxi region, China was studied. Results show that the spatial distribution pattern of the sites was gradually changed from centralization to dispersion. The center of the sites shifted northward and counterclockwise, and from northeastward to northwestward in direction. The kernel density estimation showed that the spatial distribution pattern changed from clustering in the Yangshao Culture period to zonal distribution represented by Taosi Culture in the Longshan Culture period. Compared with the Yangshao Culture period, the Longshan Culture period was in a weak warm-humid climate stage of transitional period in more obvious dryness. The cultural sites were distributed along basins and rivers. Due to the well-developed agricultural activities in the period, human adaptability increased, population grew rapidly, which promoted the development of the Longshan Culture. Later, the climate deteriorated gradually, human survival confronted severe challenges, which interrupted the Longshan Culture development. In the Xia and Shang Dynasties, the number of sites was small and the distribution was close to mountain areas. The evolution from the Longshan Culture to Xia-Shang Culture might be related to the cooling event around 4 kaBP. This study provided rich data of the mid-Holocene spatial and temporal distribution of the culture sites and environmental evolution in the southern Shanxi region, which promoted the understanding of human response and adaptation in different environments in the ancient time.