Knowledge Resource Center for Ecological Environment in Arid Area
| DOI | 10.1177/0959683619831423 |
| Oasis landscape of the ancient Loulan on the west bank of Lake Lop Nur, Northwest China, inferred from vegetation utilization for architecture | |
Li, Kangkang1,2,3; Qin, Xiaoguang1,2; Zhang, Lei1,4; Wang, Shuzhi5; Xu, Bing1,3; Mu, Guijin6 ; Wu, Yong7; Tian, Xiaohong7; Wei, Dong8; Gu, Zhaoyan1,3; Wang, Chunxue8; Zhang, Jianping1; Xu, Deke1; Tang, Zihua1; Lin, Yongchong6,9; Li, Wen6; Liu, Jiaqi1,3; Jiao, Yinxin10
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| Corresponding Author | Li, Kangkang ; Qin, Xiaoguang |
| Journal | HOLOCENE
 |
| ISSN | 0959-6836 |
| EISSN | 1477-0911 |
| Year Published | 2019 |
| Volume | 29Issue:6Pages:1030-1044 |
| Abstract in English | The ancient Loulan, situated on the west bank of Lake Lop Nur, Xinjiang, Northwest China, was an important town on the Silk Road connecting China to Europe. However, this once-prosperous kingdom has been a depopulated zone filled with wind-eroded mounds since approximately AD 500-600. A comprehensive understanding of the environmental setting of the flourishing Loulan civilization is a prerequisite for assessing environment-human interaction there. Here, we present our survey, chronology, and archaeobotany (the identification of plant remains) of vegetation use for architecture from eight ancient ruins of the Loulan kingdom to clarify the ecological landscape on the west bank of Lake Lop Nur and to assess paleoenvironmental conditions when the Loulan kingdom flourished. Our results suggest that Populus euphratica, tamarisk (Tamarix Linn), and reed (Phragmites Trin.) were most widely used as building materials in this period. Wood utilization for buildings depended entirely on indigenous vegetation rather than that of the mountains in the Loulan kingdom, even though the Loulan was a predominant transportation hub on the prosperous Silk Road. Our reconstruction indicates that the west bank of Lake Lop Nur was sufficiently wetter than present conditions to support riparian forest growth composed mainly of P. euphratica, tamarisk shrubs, and reed meadows, until approximately AD 500. These wetter conditions and flourishing civilization accompanied an increase in precipitation in arid central Asia. Conversely, combined evidence of both archeological and paleoclimatic records from the water sources of Lake Lop Nur and ancient oases suggest that abrupt decreased mountain precipitation could be considered a significant environmental factor in the decline of Loulan kingdom. |
| Keyword in English | ecological landscape Lop Nur Loulan kingdom precipitation Silk Road vegetation utilization |
| Subtype | Article |
| Language | 英语 |
| Country | Peoples R China |
| Indexed By | SCI-E ; SSCI |
| WOS ID | WOS:000485295500008 |
| WOS Keyword | CENTRAL TIAN-SHAN ; TARIM BASIN ; SOUTHERN XINJIANG ; HOLOCENE HISTORY ; CLIMATE-CHANGE ; KERIYA RIVER ; CENTRAL-ASIA ; PLANT USE ; SITE ; PALEOENVIRONMENT |
| WOS Subject | Geography, Physical ; Geosciences, Multidisciplinary |
| WOS Research Area | Physical Geography ; Geology |
| Source Institution | 中国科学院新疆生态与地理研究所 ; 中国科学院地质与地球物理研究所 |
| Document Type | 期刊论文 |
| Identifier | http://119.78.100.177/qdio/handle/2XILL650/216130 |
| Affiliation | 1.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Geol & Geophys, Key Lab Cenozo Geol & Environm, Beijing 100029, Peoples R China; 2.CAS Ctr Excellence Life & Paleoenvironm, Beijing, Peoples R China; 3.Univ Chinese Acad Sci, Beijing, Peoples R China; 4.Chinese Acad Geol Sci, Inst Geomech, Beijing, Peoples R China; 5.Chinese Acad Social Sci, Inst Archaeol, Beijing, Peoples R China; 6.Chinese Acad Sci, Xinjiang Inst Ecol & Geog, Beijing, Peoples R China; 7.Xinjiang Inst Archaeol, Xinjiang, Peoples R China; 8.Jilin Univ, Sch Archaeol, Changchun, Jilin, Peoples R China; 9.Minnan Normal Univ, Sch Hist & Geog, Zhangzhou, Peoples R China; 10.Bur Cultural Heritage Ruoqiang Cty, Xinjiang, Peoples R China |
| Recommended Citation GB/T 7714 | Li, Kangkang,Qin, Xiaoguang,Zhang, Lei,et al. Oasis landscape of the ancient Loulan on the west bank of Lake Lop Nur, Northwest China, inferred from vegetation utilization for architecture[J]. 中国科学院新疆生态与地理研究所, 中国科学院地质与地球物理研究所,2019,29(6):1030-1044. |
| APA | Li, Kangkang.,Qin, Xiaoguang.,Zhang, Lei.,Wang, Shuzhi.,Xu, Bing.,...&Jiao, Yinxin.(2019).Oasis landscape of the ancient Loulan on the west bank of Lake Lop Nur, Northwest China, inferred from vegetation utilization for architecture.HOLOCENE,29(6),1030-1044. |
| MLA | Li, Kangkang,et al."Oasis landscape of the ancient Loulan on the west bank of Lake Lop Nur, Northwest China, inferred from vegetation utilization for architecture".HOLOCENE 29.6(2019):1030-1044. |
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