Changes in Land Use and Landscape in Twentieth-Century Chengdu Plain Survey Area

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Chengdu Plain Archaeology Survey (2004–2011): Highlights from the Final Report" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Various available aerial imagery from the 1960s through 2000s allow for examination of changing ground surface conditions in the Chengdu Plain in recent decades. Surface conditions impact accessibility, visibility, and preservation of archaeological evidence of ancient human activity in the area. They also reflect transitions from a long-lasting, resilient pattern of dispersed settlement that has characterized the Chengdu Plain landscape for thousands of years. This resilient, patchy landscape is evident in the dataset of archaeological material focused on by the CPAS survey. The pattern persisted in more recent patterns of land use and hydrology that have characterized the region up through the twentieth century. We examine the degree to which landscape and land use has changed in the last third of the twentieth century and the first two decades of the twenty-first century. Using locations designated as prehistoric “Activity Areas” by the CPAS, we show those parts of the survey zone where the most dramatic changes have occurred. This highlights those regions where the identified archaeology is most under threat, or possibly already partially destroyed. Contemporary patterns of development and land use must be taken into consideration when interpreting survey data in heavily modified and occupied regions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Chengdu Plain Archaeology Survey (2004–2011): Highlights from the Final Report   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35782.0