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Exploring prehistoric variation in human–environmental interaction is critical for understanding the historical patterns and mechanisms of long-term human–land evolution. In this paper we review the published radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) data from Late Paleolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age sites in China, analyze the spatial–temporal distribution of these sites, and compare it with the results of recent paleoclimatic and archaeological studies. We seek to study the trajectory and influencing factors of human–environmental interactions in late prehistoric China. We detect changing patterns in the relationship between humans and the environment during different phases of the prehistoric era in China. Climate change clearly affected the environment of hunter-gatherer groups between 50,000–10,000 BP (before present, defined as 1950AD), and variation in human population in Neolithic China (∼10,000–4000 BP) was likely influenced primarily by the development of agriculture, in addition to substantial climate events. The spatial scale of human settlements expanded in the Bronze Age (∼4000–2200 BP) in a period of cooling climate. During this time the impact of human activities on the environment increased significantly, primarily caused by technological innovations related to the onset of prehistoric transcontinental cultural exchange in Eurasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aeolian deposits in the coastal region of North China are important for reconstructing paleoclimate. In this paper, chronology, climatic proxies and chemical compositions of four loess sections were studied. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating results indicate that the coastal loess was accumulated during late Quaternary, with ages ranging from the penultimate glacial period to the latest Holocene. Both granulometric characteristics and geochemical properties indicate that the dust provenance of the coastal loess is partially different from that of the Chinese Loess Plateau, characterized by more proximal contributions. Except distal dust transported by northwesterly winter winds from the inland gobi and sand deserts, the coastal loess also contains proximal, local coarse particles, which were derived from the exposed shelf as well as neighboring hills. Multiple climatic proxies, including color, magnetic susceptibility and particle size parameters, correlate well with the marine SPECMAP δ18O record, indicating that climatic changes in the coastal region of North China during the late Quaternary was mainly controlled by variations of the East Asian monsoon, driven by changes in global ice volumes. • Luminescence dating of coastal loess in eastern North China. • Coastal loess contain both distal and proximal source materials. • Exposed shelf during glacial time serving as an important source for coastal loess. • Costal loess reflects orbital climatic fluctuations driven by East Asian monsoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]