关键词: 环境考古, 贝壳堤, 太湖, 海平面, 长江三角洲

Abstract: The southern Chang Jiang delta plain is primarily characterized by the Taihu Lake and chenier ridges distributed in the eastern coast of China. This plain is well known due to its distinctive sedimentological/geomorphologic formation and many Neolithic sites. The region records considerably the Neolithic history of our ancestor’s settlement related to environmental changes in terms of delta construction and eustatic fluctuation. Mainly obtaining detailed information from Neolithic culture and numerous Neolithic sites, in association with many sediment boreholes, this paper primarily focuses on the southern delta plain evolution, especially the origin of Taihu lake and chenier ridges directly affected by eustatic sea level rise since the mid Holocene. The geomorphological processes will also provide invaluable insights into the evolution of Neolithic culture. In fact, the Chang Jiang delta began to form approximately at the 7 000 aBP, this coincidentally brought the of habitable environment for our ancestors, who apparently moved down from the highlands, west of the Taihu lake. It is revealed that there was a tendency of residential migration for our former habitants, progressively from scattered sites in the delta plain to the backside of the chenire ridge, during the 7 000—4 000 aBP. This evidenced that sea level rise aggravated largely the habitable conditions in the study area, in addition to the backside of the chenier ridge, which began to form at the same time as the delta evoluted and is believed to protect the habitants from the Holocene sea invasion. Apparently, outer belt area surrounding the Taihu lake aggraded corresponding to the sea level rise, it eventually turned the former residential area, including Suzhou, Qingpu and Kunshan into a so called Taihu dish like depression. Also, water table rise due to eustatic rise originates the Taihu lake, as well as many small scale fresh water reservoirs in the southern delta plain from 6 000—3 000 aBP. Consequently, the expansion of fresh water reservoir in the study area halted the domicile in the Taihu region in the later period of Liangzu stage.

Key words: study of archaeology related environment evolution, shell ridge Taihu Lake, sea level, Chang Jiang delta