河西走廊西部汉唐时期人类植物利用策略变化及影响因素研究

The strategy for ancient human to adapt to climate change is a frontier hot issue for multidiscipline. The shift of the strategy for plant utilization which was notably affected by trans-regional culture exchange and climate change was an important pattern for ancient human adaptation on the changing environment. East-west culture exchange emerged and intensified since 4000 BP which resulted in a distinct shift on plant utilization in Hexi Corridor, the throat on the Silk Road. The Silk Road attained the most prosperous period during Han-Tang Dynasties while the Hexi Corridor played as an important gateway to connect China and civilizations in the west. However, the strategy and its influencing factor for human utilization of plant during Han-Tang Dynasties in the Hexi Corridor remained unclear due to the insufficiency of historical literature research and the lack of Archaeobotanical material. This project is planning to collect Archaeobotanical remains and human bones from Han-Tang sites in the Hexi Corridor to reveal the variety and proportion of plants utilized and ancient human diet by identification of plant megafossil remains, analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in human bones, radiocarbon dating and the combination of historical literature research. With the comparison of paleoclimate records, we expect to analyze the shift of plant utilization strategy of ancient human and its relationship with climate change and evolution of the Silk Road. This project provides valuable material and new perspective for the changing process and pattern of human-environment interaction in the key region and critical period in the development of the Silk Road.

古人类对气候变化的适应策略是多学科关注的前沿热点问题，植物利用策略的调整是古人类适应生存环境变化的重要方式，受到气候变化和跨地区文化交流的显著影响。河西走廊地处丝绸之路咽喉，东西方文化交流4000年前在该区域出现并强化，导致汉代之前人类植物利用策略出现了明显转换。汉唐是丝绸之路最兴盛的时期，河西走廊西部是连接中原王朝和西方的门户。然而，该区域汉唐时期人类植物利用策略及其影响因素尚不清晰，主要受限于历史文献研究的不足和植物考古资料的缺失。本项目拟在河西走廊西部汉唐时期遗址采集植物遗存和人骨样品，通过植物大化石种属鉴定、骨骼碳氮同位素分析和碳十四测年方法，结合历史文献分析，揭示该地区汉唐时期人类摄食结构和利用的植物种类、比例变化。对比古气候记录，分析人类植物利用策略变化与丝路演化和气候变化的关系。本项目可为探讨丝路发展关键区域和时段人与环境相互作用的变化过程和规律提供重要的资料和新的视角。