Influence of rainfall changes from 4.6 to 3.0 ka BP on ceramic pipes

Abstract The impact of climate change on human social development has been a topic of research for a long time. Ceramic pipes, which are vital components of urban drainage engineering, are crucial means of managing rain hazards and floods. Exploring the historical evolution of ceramic pipes can help in better understanding the interplay between climate change and human behavior. This study examined the diameters of 86 ceramic pipes unearthed from six cultural sites in central China, including Pingliangtai, Taosi, and Erlitou, dated to 4600–3040 a BP. By combining speleothem records from the excavation sites with precipitation and temperature composite curves for China using Pearson correlation analysis, and verifying with pollen records. The results show that changes in rainfall were the main factor influencing the diameters of the ceramic pipes. This indicates that during this period, ancient people in the Central Plains of China were able to adjust the size of the ceramic pipes to regulate the water management capacity of urban water systems, thereby adapting urban development to climate change.