了解过去海面变化情况是预测未来的重要基础.从沿海地区考古地层中寻找过去海面变化的证据,将对探讨气候波动与海面变化的关系,及其对聚落形态、文化变迁影响的人地关系提供十分重要的线索.对江苏海安青墩、东台陶庄和开庄、宜兴骆驼墩遗址地层AMS^(14)C测年、GPS-CORS系统高程测量和海相微体古生物鉴定分析发现,青墩遗址距地表389~489 cm(13.1~8.5 cal ka BP,1985黄海高程为-0.65^-1.65 m)、陶庄遗址距地表156~230 cm(12.6~9.2 cal ka BP,1985黄海高程为0.97~0.23 m)、开庄遗址距地表228~390 cm(10.3~7.8 cal ka BP,1985黄海高程为0.03^-1.59 m)、骆驼墩遗址距地表255~279 cm(12.0~9.2 cal ka BP,1985黄海高程为1.08~0.84 m)为显著的海相沉积地层,揭示在苏北海安青墩、东台陶庄和开庄地区全新世初至7.8 cal ka BP为浅海沉积环境,并经历了海退成陆过程;而苏南太湖西部宜兴骆驼墩遗址全新世初至9.2 cal ka BP可能经历过短暂的滨海沉积环境.这为寻找该区新石器早期遗址提供了海拔高程和年代学方面的线索和依据.对苏州澄湖湖底62处古水井和102处灰坑顶底部GPS-CORS系统的测量也发现,崧泽文化、良渚文化、夏商周和战国时期,水井井口和灰坑顶部多在1985黄海高程0^-2 m之间,井底和灰坑底部多在-3 m左右;六朝和宋代水井的井口和灰坑顶部曾低于-1 m,水井井底和灰坑底部曾低于-4 m,表明澄湖是宋代以后才逐渐演变为湖泊的.
Holocene environmental change and environmental archaeology are important components of an international project studying the human-earth interaction system. This paper reviews the progress of Holocene environmental change and environmental archaeology research in the Yangtze River Valley over the last three decades, that includes the evolution of large freshwater lakes, Holocene transgression and sea-level changes, Holocene climate change and East Asian monsoon variation, relationship between the rise and fall of primitive civilizations and environmental changes, cultural interruptions and palaeo- flood events, as well as relationship between the origin of agriculture and climate change. These research components are underpinned by the dating of lacustrine sediments, stalagmites and peat to establish a chronology of regional environmental and cultural evolution. Interdisciplinary and other environment proxy indicators need to be used in comparative studies of archaeological site formation and natural sedi- mentary environment in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Valley. Modern tech- nology such as remote sensing, molecular bioarchaeology, and virtual reality, should be integrated with currently used dating, geochemical, sedimentological, and palaeobotanical methods of analysis in envi- ronmental archaeology macro- and micro-studies, so as to provide a greater comprehensive insight into Holocene environmental and cultural interaction and change in the Yangtze River Valley area.
长江流域是我国重要的经济区和人类文明孕育、诞生和发展区,也是水旱等自然灾害频繁发生的地区,在该区开展全新世环境考古研究,对弄清全新世10.0~3.0 ka BP无文字记载期的环境演变和人地关系互动影响有着重要的科学意义。近年来,长江流域全新世环境考古主要以古洪水和海面变化事件地层学为依据和线索,从遗址时空分布学研究、典型遗址考古地层学研究,以及区域内自然沉积地层记录的环境演变背景特征研究这三个方面入手,在长江流域的上、中、下游地区均获得了有重要意义的进展,表明长江流域全新世环境考古正在向更深更广的领域发展。同时,国际环境考古研究也在不断深入发展,新出版的PAGES Magazine杂志就特别关注了分辨率高达一年至数月的过去沉积记录;遥感、GIS等技术和DNA等分子生物学技术正不断在环境考古领域得到应用。
