The past human-environment interaction within lake systems: a case study of Lake Dian in the Asian monsoon area

Large lake systems have consistently attracted human settlements due to their capacity to provide abundant survival resources and regulate the regional climate environment. However, the adaptive processes and transformations of lake environments by human societies in the Asian monsoon region since the Holocene remain unclear. This study presents a case focused on Lake Dian, the largest lake on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, investigating the intricate relationship between lake environments, climate change, and human activity. Utilizing the nearest neighbor analysis, we calculate the distances between archaeological sites and the modern shoreline of the Lake Dian since the Neolithic period. Combining historical literature with paleoclimate records, our findings reveal that during the Neolithic to Yuan Dynasty period, the wetter the regional environment, the farther the distance between archaeological sites and the Lake Dian. Conversely, during the humid Ming and Qing periods, the average distance significantly decreased. This was attributed to human societies transforming lake environments through the implementation of large-scale water projects and the cultivation of fields around the lakes, thereby gaining more habitable land in the vicinity. This study demonstrates the significance of the nearest neighbor analysis in enhancing our understanding of the past human-environment within lake systems and the Anthropocene.

کلیدواژه ها:

Past human-environment interaction ، Asia monsoon area ، Lake Systems ، Middle to late Holocene ، The Nearest Neighbor Analysis