Keywords: Maqiao culture site, Cultural interruption, Holocene climate variation, the Yangtze Delta, P. R. China

Climatic changes in the Yangtze Delta played an important role in emergence, persistence and collapse of civilization. Archaeological excavations in the region over many years demonstrated that there are several layers of fine sand or organic mud that interrupt the consecutive culture strata in a number of Neolithic culture sites. Continuous biostratigraphical and sedimentological records from Maqiao cultural site, Shanghai, suggest that the fine sand and organic mud units resulted from expansion of water bodies both by sea-level fluctuation and increased flooding during cold and humid episodes in Holocene climate. The vacancy of human settlement from 7240 yr B.P. to 5320 yr B.P. in the region was mainly caused by higher sea-level due to warm and humid climate. The Neolithic cultures developed under the conditions of lower and more stable sea-level as well as warmer and more arid climate between about 4410 yr B.P. and 3250 yr B.P. A flood-induced lake expansion interrupted the civilization in the region at about 4200 yr B.P. Later, higher water tables and expansion of lakes between 3250 yr B.P. and A.D.618 under cold and moist climate temporarily terminated settlement on the delta. Later, during the Tang Dynasty, beginning at about A.D.618, the region again became suitable for human settlement under conditions of more favorable climate and lower water tables.

* This research is supported by the National Science Foundation of China (49771075).