China Plain Ancient Landscape Survey

As part of the Sanyangzhuang project, we are conducting a survey for ancient landscapes in the area buried by past flood events. The flood that buried the Sanyangzhuang site is just one of many flood events throughout the Yellow River’s history. Each of these floods has buried large swaths of area in the China Plain, preserving a number of ancient landscapes. These buried landscapes extend over 50 km² and represent an unparalleled opportunity to explore the residual imprint of different land use practices throughout time and space in China Plain. Using geoarchaeological methods, such as soil micromorphology and soil chemistry, the imprint of past human activity on these landscapes can be brought to light. When this approach is combined with rich archaeological evidence and nearly 5,000 years of Chinese historical sources, environmental changes can be linked with historic technological, political, and climatic shifts.