The Paleoenvironment, Plants and Animals of Liangzhu: Essence and Treasures (Liangzhu Civilization)

This book summarizes the latest archeological findings on Liangzhu culture and outlines the rise and fall of Liangzhu society in terms of its environment, flora and fauna. In addition, it seeks to analyze the characteristics of animal breeding and agricultural cultivation in Liangzhu from the perspectives of archeobotany and archeozoology. In turn, it explores the dietary structure and population density, reaching the bold conclusion that the dramatic increase in population gave rise to environmental deterioration and to natural disasters that eventually destroyed the Liangzhu culture. Foreword: Liangzhu and Five Thousand Years of Chinese Civilization 6 Contents 10 1 Climate and Environment of the Liangzhu Site 12 1.1 Human and Nature 12 1.1.1 Climate and History 12 1.1.2 The Mysterious 30 Degrees North Latitude 17 1.2 Ups and Downs of Liangzhu Culture 20 1.2.1 C-shaped Area of Liangzhu Culture 20 1.2.2 Chinese Paradise: Jiangnan (Regions South of the Yangtze River) 24 1.2.3 Prehistoric Power 28 1.3 How to Study Paleoenvironment 33 1.3.1 Book of the Earth 33 1.3.2 Magical Chemical Elements and Isotopes 40 1.3.3 “Invisible” History 44 2 Animal World of Liangzhu Site 46 2.1 Zooarchaeology in Liangzhu 48 2.1.1 What is Zooarchaeology? 50 2.1.2 Field Sampling 58 2.1.3 Laboratory Work 67 2.2 Long Misunderstood Liangzhu Animals 72 2.2.1 Wild Boar or Domestic Pig? 73 2.2.2 Bubalus mephistopheles ≠ Modern Buffalo 79 2.2.3 Yellow-Spotted Giant Turtle, Taihu Lake Turtle, Lump-Head Turtle, Sishi Turtle, or Spotted Turtle? 82 2.2.4 Chicken or Pheasant? 85 2.2.5 Sheep, Goat, or Capricornis sumatraensis? 87 2.3 Liangzhu People Keep up with Animals 88 2.3.1 See Big Through “small” 88 2.3.2 From Bones to Tools 95 2.3.3 Animal Images (Animal Images Applied to Jade Ware and Other Artworks) 96 3 Plant Paradise of Liangzhu Site 99 3.1 Generation of Archaeobotany 99 3.2 Archaeobotany of Liangzhu Site 110 3.2.1 Rice Farming 110 3.2.2 Fruit and Vegetable Cultivation 119 3.2.3 Processing and Utilization of Wood 136 3.2.4 Ingenious Building Material—Straw-Wrapped Mud 168