Situated in the semi-arid regions of North China, the Nihewan Basin documents the fluvio-lacustrine sequence and Pleistocene archaeological sites, offering an excellent opportunity to investigate human adaptation to environmental change in East Asia, especially in North China. However, paleoenvironmental datasets from Middle Pleistocene archaeological sites are not fully understood. Focusing on the evidence from the 0.63-0.49 Ma-old site of Jijiazhuang (Nihewan Basin, North China), this paper presents the results of various environmental indicators from the site context. Moreover, it explores the links between hominin behavioral adaptations and ecological variability during the extra-long interglacial period in North China. Sedimentological features of the excavated section indicate that the site was formed in the margin of the Nihewan paleolake. Based on well-constructed pollen, sediment grain size, color reflectance, and major geochemical element analyses, five stages of environmental changes were identified during site formation. This study indicates that hominins occupied the site at the early part of Stage 2, when the Nihewan paleolake had a relatively low water level and the climate was temperate, with strong weathering intensity dominated by wooded grassland landscapes. In conclusion, the results suggest that the extra-long duration of interglacial or mild stadial climate events (MISs 15-13) in the Northern Hemisphere may have provided favorable conditions for increased technological innovations and adaptive strategies among Middle Pleistocene hominins in the Nihewan Basin even in North China.

Lithic miniaturization is a key adaptive and technological feature of human populations and one of the key cultural hallmarks in the Late Pleistocene of Eastern Asia. In northern China this form of stone tool technology is well represented, including by microblade technology. Lithic miniaturization has been identified in South China, though this technological feature has received little research attention in comparison to the north. Here, we examine three miniaturized lithic assemblages in South China, ranging from the terminal Pleistocene to middle Holocene. To examine technological variations in lithic miniaturization, the three assemblages were subject to comparative quantitative analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA), K-means clustering and the Zingg system. The three sites were found to exhibit varied temporal and geographic patterns of lithic miniaturization across South China, potentially related to fluctuating climatic conditions and changes in population dynamics since the Late Pleistocene.

The paleoenvironmental changes and adaptation strategies of hominins during the Late Pleistocene are crucial for understanding the evolution, dispersal, and behavioral shifts of early modern humans. Despite South China’s significance as a nexus for hominin dispersal and handaxe technology diffusion, quantitative reconstructions of paleoenvironments linked to archaeological records remain scarce. The Sandinggai site (96.6-13.3 ka BP) in central South China, with its well-preserved stratigraphy and abundant lithic artefacts, is notable for providing valuable insights. In this study, quantitative reconstruction of the vegetation succession and climate change sequences at the site was conducted using palynological and isotopic data. The results indicated a shift from a warm-temperate evergreen and deciduous broadleaf mixed forest to a temperate deciduous broadleaf forest, with the climate transitioning from warm and humid to cooler and drier conditions. During the early phase, an increase in lithic production suggested favorable conditions for hominin survival. In the later phase, decreased lithic production and the replacement of large handaxe tools by smaller flake tools, indicated that hominins adapted to the cooler, drier climate and more open landscapes through lithic miniaturization. These findings highlight the environment-driven adaptation of lithic technology and hominin behavior, thereby shedding light on human survival adaptation strategies.

The Inner Asian Mountain Corridor (IAMC) acted as a crossroads of trans-Eurasian exchange since approximately 6000 cal.yr BP. The history of the introduction and utilization of crops and livestock in the area has been intensively discussed, while geographical-temporal variations of human activities and subsistence strategies remain unclear. Here we report new zooarchaeological data and radiocarbon dates from the Naba Cemeteries, revealing herbivorous livestock were predominant animal resource during both the Bronze and Early Iron Ages, and sheep/goat and horse were paramount sacrificial animals in these two periods, respectively. In tandem with published radiocarbon dates, zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical data from IAMC’s prehistoric sites, we detect humans mainly engaged in hunting-gathering games in the IAMC during 8000-5000 cal. yr BP. During 5000-4000 cal. yr BP, the territory of agro-pastoral groups evidently expanded in the IAMC with a hotspot in the Altai Region, and wheat and barley were introduced into the area. In the following two millennia, herding became an economic mainstay, and cultivations of crops were ubiquitous in the IAMC’s oases. We argue that prehistoric human activities in the IAMC were mainly affected by agro-pastoral expansions associated with exchanges across the Eurasia, which was likely promoted by climate change.

In research on the legendary Xia Dynasty of ancient China, the famous archaeological site of Erlitou and its culture are the most debated topics. A key question is whether this ancient culture is truly related to the Xia Dynasty. This study combines traditional literature (Xia Xiao Zheng), archaeological evidence (on alligators), and climate simulation (of autumn rains) to demonstrate that the ancient Chinese phenological calendar, Xia Xiao Zheng, likely originated in the same region as the Erlitou culture. A logical explanation of these findings is that both Xia Xiao Zheng and the Erlitou culture are indeed closely related to the Xia Dynasty.

The Liaohe River Valley was one of the key centers of the origination and development of agriculture in northern China during the Holocene. To understand the long-term interaction among the evolutions of climate, agriculture, and human activities, it is essential to quantitatively reconstruct the spatiotemporal changes in regional prehistoric human land use. In this study, known archaeological sites and a prehistoric land use model (PLUM) were combined to reconstruct changes in land use in the Liaohe River Valley during 8-2 ka BP from a quantitative perspective. The land use area experienced two stages of increase (during 8-5 ka BP and after 4 ka BP) and one stage of decrease (during 5-4 ka BP); these periods were characterized by spatial expansions and contractions. The land use intensity level differed significantly in the western and eastern parts of the valley before 4 ka BP, but the situation changed as the distribution center of the human activity shifted to the southern part of the valley around 5-4 ka BP. Overall, the spatial and temporal changes in the land use areas in both the western and eastern parts of the valley responded well to variations in precipitation during 8-2 ka BP, which potentially provides useful insights into understanding the responses of human activity to future climate change.

The historicity of China’s first state-level government (the Xia Dynasty), during which a Great Flood is claimed to have swept through the core of northern China, remains a well-known yet unresolved issue. Archaeologists hypothesize a connection between the legendary events of the Xia Dynasty and archaeological discoveries in the Central China Plains cultural area, encompassing late Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures such as Henan’s Longshan, Xinzhai, Erlitou, and Erligang. The authenticity of these speculations has been challenging to substantiate due to the lack of systematic evidence for the Great Flood in the middle to lower Yellow River (YR) Basin. In this paper, we present high-resolution hydrological environmental proxy data, sedimentological remains, and paleontological evidence from the central North China Plain. Our findings provide isochronous evidence of the termination of a hundred-year-long flood period dated to approximately 2080±216 BC, consistent with the observations from lower YR flood plain and marginal marine sediments. These findings both spatially and temporally overlap with the framework of the Great Flood described in the Chinese classics. The alignment between the geoscientific and archaeological evidence and the information in the Chinese classics provides robust confirmation that the Great Flood occurred in the middle to lower YR region during the late Longshan era.

Understanding the historical development of civilization in the Western Regions of China necessitates a detailed chronology and an in-depth analysis of the developmental dynamics of Ancient Loulan City (LA). However, systematic chronological investigations of specific archaeological sites within LA remain scarce, leaving the construction and occupation dates of many sites, along with the urban extent and development phases, unclear. To address these gaps, we established the Loulan Radiocarbon Dating Database and applied the summed probability distribution (SPD) method to reconstruct the chronology of individual sites and the urban development trajectory of LA. Our findings reveal the following: (1) Between ~500 BC and ~200 BC, only site units LA-I and LA-VIII existed, representing a nascent village phase; (2) From ~200 BC to ~AD 100, the construction of LA-IV marked the transition to an urban phase, as evidenced by abundant plant and animal remains that indicate a blend of agricultural and pastoral practices; (3) From ~AD 100 to ~AD 400, the remaining site units were constructed, occupied, and utilized, signifying the urban phase. This period saw the emergence of complex social stratification, with roles such as monks, soldiers, officials, and blacksmiths shaping the city’s structure. These chronological insights provide a new understanding of LA’s urban evolution, offering critical evidence for its socio-economic transformation.

Arid West Asia (AWA) is a critical hub of the Silk Road and one of the primary dust source regions in the Northern Hemisphere. Dust storms in AWA emitting substantial dust particles into the atmosphere, significantly influencing air quality, climate change and marine productivity. However, the variability of dust storm activity in this region during the Holocene, particularly its links to vegetation and hydroclimatic changes, remains debated, hindering our understanding of the interconnected dynamics between climate change and surface environments. This study reconstructs dust storm variations in AWA over the past 9000 years using geochemical analyses (trace elements, Sr-Nd isotopes) from a well-dated, high-resolution sediment core from the Almalou Peatland, located on the western Iranian Plateau. Our results reveal a decline in dust storm frequency from the early to mid-Holocene, a minimum occurrence during the mid-Holocene, and a significant increase in the late Holocene. Provenance analysis indicates that the primary dust sources were the arid regions of Mesopotamia, located upwind of the study area. A comparison with proxy records and paleoclimate models suggests an inverse relationship between dust storm activity and regional hydroclimatic and vegetation changes, along with a positive correlation with wind speeds. The concentration of dust storms during the wetter month of May highlights wind speed as a more critical driving factor. Moreover, given the dominant influence of the subtropical high on hydroclimatic conditions and wind speeds in AWA, we propose that this system is the key regulator of regional dust storm dynamics. Our findings provide new insights into the drivers of dust storm activity in AWA and hold implications for developing targeted dust storm management strategies.

Tropical cyclones (TCs) have profound impacts on socioeconomic conditions and pose substantial risks to lives and property. However, it is still unclear whether the multitimescale changes in TC activity over the past 2000 years in the Northwestern Pacific (NWP) were regulated by Asian dust forcing. Here, we assessed the impact of Asian dust on TC activity using observational data and reconstructed records from the northern and southern NWP. Our correlation analysis of instrumental data from 1954 to 2017 reveals no significant relationship between observed TC activity and Asian dust forcing. Furthermore, we found a meridional dipole pattern of TC variation across the NWP in observations and reconstructions. These finding challenges current explanations that are based on the synchronous changes in TC activity and Asian dust forcing. Alternatively, we propose that the Western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) plays a crucial role in driving these meridional dipole patterns in TC variations, as supported by observations and reconstructions. The southwestward extension of an enhanced WPSH intensifies easterly flow, steering TCs westward along its southern edge. This leads to more TC activity in the southern NWP but less in the north, and vice versa when the WPSH is weakened. With the expected strengthening of the WPSH due to global warming, it is vital to consider its impact on NWP TC activity for effective risk-mitigation strategies.

The existence of an intensifying shift in the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) since ~2000 years ago that differs from the decreasing trend of Northern Hemisphere summer insolation remains controversial. Therefore, we compared and synthesized stalagmite δ¹⁸O records from eastern China to clarify the EASM trend during this period. A total of 30 cave δ¹⁸O records that did not consistently indicate a depleted trend during 2-0 ka. Rather, they included increasing (14 caves), decreasing (8 caves), and non-significant (8 caves) trends. The spatially interpolated trends of cave δ¹⁸O suggested spatial differences among three subregions: North China (NC), decreasing trend (5 caves); Central-East China/Yangtze River Valley (CEC), increasing trend (17 caves); South China (SC), decreasing trend (8 caves). The cave δ¹⁸O evidence supports spatial differences in precipitation in eastern China that have been substantially demonstrated by observations and model simulations. The decreasing δ¹⁸O anomaly from NC and SC was associated with the decreasing sea surface temperature over Pacific Decadal Oscillation region and increasing South Oscillation Index. The increasing CEC δ¹⁸O anomaly was linked to southward Intertropical Convergence Zone shift and decreasing solar irradiance. Consequently, EASM circulation is jointly forced by external and internal factors at various timescales.

The orientations of ancient tombs have attracted increasing scholarly attention, as they offer valuable insights into early social structures, cultural traditions, and the relationship between humans and their environment. However, the application of machine learning algorithms to the study of tomb orientation remains relatively underexplored. In this study, we employed a Gaussian mixture model to conduct a systematic analysis of the spatial and temporal evolution of Neolithic tomb orientations in Central China. We also examined the relationship between tomb orientation and both environmental factors and sociocultural dynamics. The findings suggest a deliberate and methodical approach to the planning and alignment of tombs during the Neolithic Age. Tomb orientations in each chronological phase displayed clear clustering patterns, reflecting a developmental trajectory from uniformity to diversity, and ultimately toward integration. While early angular measurement techniques appear to have emerged, they do not show evidence of sustained technical progression. Instead, different periods seem to have achieved similar levels of directional accuracy. The predominance of westward-facing tombs may be closely tied to both topographic features and the symbolic association with sunset. At the same time, cultural evolution and interregional exchange played essential roles in shaping the distinctive patterns of prehistoric tomb orientation. This research contributes not only to the understanding of ancient funerary practices but also demonstrates the potential of machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies in advancing archaeological analysis.