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Abstract: Holocene environmental change and environmental archaeology are important components of an international project studying the human-earth interaction system. This paper reviews the progress of Holocene environmental change and environmental archaeology research in the Yangtze River Valley over the last three decades, that includes the evolution of large freshwater lakes, Holocene transgression and sea-level changes, Holocene climate change and East Asian monsoon variation, relationship between the rise and fall of primitive civilizations and environmental changes, cultural interruptions and palaeoflood events, as well as relationship between the origin of agriculture and climate change. These research components are underpinned by the dating of lacustrine sediments, stalagmites and peat to establish a chronology of regional environmental and cultural evolution. Interdisciplinary and other environment proxy indicators need to be used in comparative studies of archaeological site formation and natural sedimentary environment in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Valley. Modern technology such as remote sensing, molecular bioarchaeology, and virtual reality, should be integrated with currently used dating, geochemical, sedimentological, and palaeobotanical methods of analysis in environmental archaeology macro- and micro-studies, so as to provide a greater comprehensive insight into Holocene environmental and cultural interaction and change in the Yangtze River Valley area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Yardangs are typical wind-eroded landforms that are found in most of the world''s major deserts. This paper describes the morphology of yardangs in the Kumtagh Desert, analyzes their control factors, and discusses their development processes, age, and rates of formation. Yardangs in the Kumtagh Desert lack the ideal streamlined morphology and the length-to-width ratio close to 4:1 that have been previously described as being due to their unique controlling factors, which include a combination of stratigraphic structures, wind erosion and fluvial erosion. Fluvial erosion plays a particularly important role in the development of the yardangs, though wind continuously sculpts their morphology. The development of yardangs can be divided into four stages: an embryonic stage, adolescence, maturation, and recession. Most yardangs in the Kumtagh Desert are in the mature to receding stages. We determined an approximate age for the yardangs based on the erosion rates estimated by several researchers: on this basis, the yardangs in the Kumtagh Desert appear to have formed during the Holocene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Based on a body of relevant literature and field investigations, this paper presents some insights into the genesis and evolution of dunefields along the lower Ganjiang River and surrounding the Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province, central China. After analyses and comparisons, it concluded that: 1) the dunefields in the Poyang Lake valley occurred at lest during late Quaternary, not Holocene, and there could be theoretically mid-Quaternary dunefields; 2) the essentials of genesis and evolution of dunefields exist during both Quaternary glaciations and dry seasons and periods in the Holocene, especially in specific sites such as Shaling of Xingzi County and Laoyemiao of Duchang County; 3) considering the distinct location and spatial characters of the Poyang Lake valley, as the existence of “Easten Asian Cold Trough” is possible and reasonable, glacial and aeolian processes as a coupled complex should be concurrent and synergic in a much larger spatial extent, the widespread dunefields of late Quaternary suggest more possibly the existence of corresponding glacial products in the region; 4) the future explorations in such vulnerable and distinct environments entail more original ideas and approaches as well as research and analysis techniques in order to obtain more valuable results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Coastal morphodynamics and environmental changes have been obviously altered by global warming, sea-level fluctuations, and human activities. Palynological analysis is one of the most important tools for providing information on vegetation, climate, and environmental change, which can be relatively sensitive indicators of human activity during the Holocene. However, Holocene coastal morphodynamics and palynological evidence from the Pearl River Delta and coastal areas has not been sufficiently studied. In this paper, we carry out analyses using detailed grain-size and palynological records of pollen, spores, freshwater algae, and marine dinoflagellate cysts from Borehole QZK13 in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), southern China. The results show information relating coastal morphodynamics, vegetation evolution, climate changes, and anthropogenic activities during the Holocene based on radiocarbon chronology. In general, the PRE experienced marine transgressive processes; sea-level and the coastline tended to migrate landward between 10,700 and 4250 cal yr BP. Meanwhile, abundant arboreal pollen (mainly Castanopsis , Quercus -evergreen, Oleaceae, and Castanea) and small amounts of non-arboreal pollen (mainly Poaceae, Cyperaceae, and Artemisia) were observed in Borehole QZK13, which suggests that subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests were distributed throughout the PRE and adjacent areas, and relatively warm and moist climatic conditions were present during the early-middle Holocene. After that, there were relatively cool and wet climatic conditions, and marine regressive processes occurred in the PRE during the Late Holocene (ca. 4250–960 cal yr BP) indicated by an abrupt increase in aquatic herbs and Dicranopteris. Moreover, we hypothesize that the Neolithic "cultural fault" in the PRE is likely related to frequent storm surges induced by extreme typhoon events that occurred ca. 3000–2700 yr BP. • Grain size, pollen, spores, freshwater algae and dinoflagellate cysts from the Pearl River Estuary were investigated. • Three major phases shown by palynological results were corresponding to the changes in vegetation and climate. • We hypothesized that the Neolithic "cultural fault" is probably related to the storm surges induced by extreme typhoon events. • Natural vegetation cover has suffered large-scale destruction by ancient humans during the Late Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]