Early evidence of irrigation technology in the North China Plain: Geoarchaeological investigations at the Anshang Site, Neihuang County, Henan Province, China

Storozum, Michael; Liu, Haiwang; Qin, Zhen; Ming, Kongde; Fu, Kui; Wang, Hui; Kidder, Tristram

doi:10.1002/gea.21634

Cited by 30Archaeology and ancient environmental studiesWater management and technologiesSoil and Environmental Studies

Early evidence of irrigation technology in the North China Plain: Geoarchaeological investigations at the Anshang Site, Neihuang County, Henan Province, China

Storozum, Michael, Liu, Haiwang, Qin, Zhen, Ming, Kongde, Fu, Kui, Wang, Hui, Kidder, Tristram·2018·Geoarchaeology

DOI 10.1002/gea.21634

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

The development of irrigation is a politically important technology that enabled agricultural societies to intensify agricultural production. In the North China Plain, the historical record suggests a long tradition of irrigation, but archaeologists have found scant evidence of these technologies outside of urban areas. In 2012, 2015, and 2016, our excavations at the Anshang site, Neihuang County, Henan Province, China, revealed several archaeological features that we interpret as evidence of Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1200–1046 B.C.) canal construction in a nonurban context. By using a range of geological methods, including particle size, loss on ignition, magnetic susceptibility, and micromorphology, we suggest that these ancient canals and the subsequent construction phases found at Anshang not only influenced the development of local geomorphic conditions, but also were part of early dynastic attempts to restructure the natural landscape to facilitate agricultural productivity. These irrigation canals found at Anshang may be representative of broader trends of human‐environmental interactions in the North China Plain.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1002/gea.21634

Cites

82 of 82 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Early and indigenous ditch-based irrigation systems have been examined across Asia, North, Central, and South America.
“Early and indigenous ditch-based irrigation systems have also been examined across Asia 37,38 and North 29,39,40 , Central 41 and South America 42 .”
From Lines in the landscape (2025) · cites this paper as [37]

IntCal13 and Marine13 radiocarbon age calibration curves 0–50,000 years cal BP
Reimer, P. J., Bard, E., Bayliss, A., Beck, J. W., Blackwell, P. G., Ramsey, C. B., Buck, C. E., Cheng, H., Edwards, R. L., Friedrich, M., et al. (2013) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.2458/azu_js_rc.55.16947 · Cited by 14,591 · see citing works
Total Carbon, Organic Carbon, and Organic Matter
Nelson, D. W., & Sommers, L. E. (1996) · Soil Science Society of America book series · doi:10.2136/sssabookser5.3.c34 · Cited by 13,048 · see citing works
Bayesian Analysis of Radiocarbon Dates
Bronk Ramsey, C. (2009) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.1017/s0033822200033865 · Cited by 8,725 · see citing works
Loss on ignition as a method for estimating organic and carbonate content in sediments: reproducibility and comparability of results
Heiri, O., Lotter, A. F., & Lemcke, G. (2001) · Journal of Paleolimnology · doi:10.1023/a:1008119611481 · Cited by 4,972 · see citing works
Handbook for soil thin section description
Limbrey, S. (1986) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/0305-4403(86)90021-x · Cited by 1,471 · see citing works
Guidelines for Analysis and Description of Soil and Regolith Thin Sections
Stoops, G., Vepraskas, M. J., & Jongmans, A. G. (2003) · ASSA, CSSA and SSSA · doi:10.2136/2003.guidelinesforanalysis · Cited by 1,300 · see citing works
Soils and Micromorphology in Archaeology
Courty, M. A., Goldberg, P. S., & Macphail, R. I. (1990) · Soil Science · doi:10.1097/00010694-199012000-00014 · Cited by 979 · see citing works
RIVER AVULSIONS AND THEIR DEPOSITS
SLINGERLAND, R. L., & Smith, N. D. (2004) · Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences · doi:10.1146/annurev.earth.32.101802.120201 · Cited by 708 · see citing works
Chinese cave records and the East Asia Summer Monsoon
Liu, Z., Wen, X., Brady, E. C., et al. (2013) · Quaternary Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.10.021 · Cited by 644 · see citing works
Soils and Geomorphology
Bakker, H. (1986) · Geoderma · doi:10.1016/0016-7061(86)90046-7 · Cited by 523 · see citing works
Thin Section Preparation of Soils and Sediments.
McSweeney, K. (1987) · Soil Science · doi:10.1097/00010694-198710000-00013 · Cited by 487 · see citing works
Interpretation of Micromorphological Features of Soils and Regoliths
(2010) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/c2009-0-18081-9 · Cited by 428 · see citing works
Man's Influence on the Erosion and Transport of Sediment by Asian Rivers: The Yellow River (Huanghe) Example
Milliman, J. D., Yunshan, Q., Mei-e, R., et al. (1987) · The Journal of Geology · doi:10.1086/629175 · Cited by 381 · see citing works
Seasonal fluxes and source variation of organic carbon transported by two major Chinese Rivers: The Yellow River and Changjiang (Yangtze) River
Wang, X., Ma, H., Li, R., Song, Z., & Wu, J. (2012) · Global Biogeochemical Cycles · doi:10.1029/2011gb004130 · Cited by 379 · see citing works
Soil microscopy and micromorphology
(1994) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.31-6062 · Cited by 378 · see citing works
Sediment discharge of the Yellow River (China) and its effect on the sedimentation of the Bohai and the Yellow Sea
Mei-e, R., & Shi, Y.-L. (1986) · Continental Shelf Research · doi:10.1016/0278-4343(86)90037-3 · Cited by 311 · see citing works
The wet and the dry: irrigation and agricultural intensification in Polynesia.
Kirch, P. V. (1994) · University of Chicago Press eBooks · Cited by 309 · see citing works
The Evolution of Urban Society: Early Mesopotamia and Prehispanic Mexico.
Rouse, Ĭ., & Adams, R. M. (1967) · Man · doi:10.2307/2799516 · Cited by 305 · see citing works
Early Hydraulic Civilization in Egypt: A Study in Cultural Ecology
Tuan, Y., & Butzer, K. W. (1977) · Geographical Review · doi:10.2307/213735 · Cited by 300 · see citing works
Alluvial Geoarchaeology
Brown, A. G. (1997) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511607820 · Cited by 296 · see citing works
Socio-economic Impacts on Flooding: A 4000-Year History of the Yellow River, China
Chen, Y., Syvitski, J. P. M., Gao, S., Overeem, I., & Kettner, A. J. (2012) · AMBIO · doi:10.1007/s13280-012-0290-5 · Cited by 293 · see citing works
Radiocarbon Dating of Soil Organic Matter
Wang, Y., Amundson, R., & Trumbore, S. (1996) · Quaternary Research · doi:10.1006/qres.1996.0029 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
Soils in Archaeological Research
Holliday, V. T. (2004) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780195149654.001.0001 · Cited by 259 · see citing works
Art, Myth, and Ritual
CHANG, K.-C. (1983) · Harvard University Press eBooks · doi:10.4159/9780674029408 · Cited by 248 · see citing works
The rivers of civilization
Macklin, M. G., & Lewin, J. (2015) · Quaternary Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.02.004 · Cited by 227 · see citing works
Origin and spread of wheat in China
Dodson, J., Li, X., Zhou, X., Zhao, K., Sun, N., & Atahan, P. (2013) · Quaternary Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.04.021 · Cited by 222 · see citing works
The ancient city : new perspectives on urbanism in the old and new world
Marcus, J., & Sabloff, J. A. (2008) · Cited by 210 · see citing works
The North China Basin: An example of a Cenozoic rifted intraplate basin
Ye, H., Shedlock, K. M., Hellinger, S. J., et al. (1985) · Tectonics · doi:10.1029/tc004i002p00153 · Cited by 201 · see citing works
Contextualizing Early Urbanization: Settlement Cores, Early States and Agro-pastoral Strategies in the Fertile Crescent During the Fourth and Third Millennia BC
Wilkinson, T. J., Philip, G., Bradbury, J., et al. (2014) · Journal of World Prehistory · doi:10.1007/s10963-014-9072-2 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Flow of power : ancient water systems and landscapes
Scarborough, V. L. (2003) · Cited by 195 · see citing works
Size and the Structure of Authority in Canal Irrigation Systems
Hunt, R. C. (1988) · Journal of Anthropological Research · doi:10.1086/jar.44.4.3630504 · Cited by 177 · see citing works
Intensification Revisited
Brookfield, H. C. (1984) · Asia Pacific Viewpoint · doi:10.1111/apv.251002 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
The dynamics of a riverine civilization: A geoarchaeological perspective on the Nile Valley, Egypt
Hassan, F. A. (1997) · World Archaeology · doi:10.1080/00438243.1997.9980363 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
Irrigation Civilizations: A Comparative Study
G., G. E. (1956) · Geographical Journal · doi:10.2307/1790878 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
Chinese Imperial City Planning
Steinhardt, N. S. (1990) · University of Hawaii Press eBooks · doi:10.1515/9780824841478 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Extraordinary Floods of 4100−4000a BP recorded at the Late Neolithic Ruins in the Jinghe River Gorges, Middle Reach of the Yellow River, China
Huang, C. C., Pang, J., Zha, X., et al. (2010) · Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology · doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2010.02.003 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
The origins of wheat in China and potential pathways for its introduction: A review
BETTS, A. V. G., Jia, P. W., & Dodson, J. (2013) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2013.07.044 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
River valleys and foothills: changing archaeological perceptions of North China's earliest farms
Liu, X., Hunt, H. V., & Jones, M. K. (2009) · Antiquity · doi:10.1017/s0003598x00098100 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
The Ancestral Landscape: Time, Space, and Community in Late Shang China (ca. 1200–1045 B.C.)
Keightley, D. N. (2000) · doi:10.2307/jj.14904978 · Cited by 131 · see citing works
Mapping of the spatial and temporal distribution of archaeological sites of northern China during the Neolithic and Bronze Age
Wagner, M., Tarasov, P. E., Hosner, D., Fleck, A., Ehrich, R., Chen, X., & Leipe, C. (2012) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2012.06.039 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Anthropogenic influences on changes in the sediment load of the Yellow River, China, during the Holocene
Mei-e, R., & Xianmo, Z. (1994) · The Holocene · doi:10.1177/095968369400400311 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
An Historical Atlas of China
Wiens, H. J., Herrmann, A. G., & Ginsburg, N. (1967) · Economic Geography · doi:10.2307/143257 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Evolution of Water Supply Through the Millennia
Angelakιs, A. N. (2012) · Water Intelligence Online · doi:10.2166/9781780401041 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Toward a Networks and Boundaries Approach to Early Complex Polities
Campbell, R. (2009) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/648398 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Canal Irrigation and Local Social Organization [and Comments and Reply]
Hunt, R. C., Hunt, E., Ahmed, G. M., et al. (1976) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/201755 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
The Ancestral Landscape: Time, Space, and Community in Late Shang China, Ca. 1200-1045 B.C
Keightley, D. N. (2000) · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Impact of monsoonal climatic change on Holocene overbank flooding along Sushui River, middle reach of the Yellow River, China
Huang, C. C., Pang, J., Zha, X., et al. (2007) · Quaternary Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2007.06.006 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
The approximate age of the planation surface and the incision of the Yellow River
Pan, B., Hu, Z., Wang, J., et al. (2010) · Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology · doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2010.04.011 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Archaeology of the Anthropocene in the Yellow River region, China, 8000–2000 cal. BP
Zhuang, Y., & Kidder, T. R. (2014) · The Holocene · doi:10.1177/0959683614544058 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Self-citation
Geoarchaeology: The Earth-Science Approach To Archaeological Interpretation
Gargett, R. H. (1999) · Australian Archaeology · doi:10.1080/03122417.1999.11681624 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Hydrology, Ideology, and the Origins of Irrigation in Ancient Southwest Arabia
Harrower, M. J. (2008) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/587890 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Sedimentation rates in the lower Yellow River over the past 2300 years as influenced by human activities and climate change
Xu, J. (2003) · Hydrological Processes · doi:10.1002/hyp.1392 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Geoarchaeological aids in the investigation of early Shang civilization on the floodplain of the lower Yellow River, China
Jing, Z., Rapp, G. R., & Gao, T. (1997) · World Archaeology · doi:10.1080/00438243.1997.9980362 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Landesque capital: the historical ecology of enduring landscape modifications
Slack, L. (2015) · Time and Mind · doi:10.1080/1751696x.2015.1117313 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Water management and agricultural intensification of rice farming at the late-Neolithic site of Maoshan, Lower Yangtze River, China
Zhuang, Y., Pin, D., & French, C. A. I. (2014) · The Holocene · doi:10.1177/0959683614522310 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Landscape Change and the Cultural Evolution of the Hohokam along the Middle Gila River and Other River Valleys in South-Central Arizona
Waters, M. R., & Ravesloot, J. C. (2001) · American Antiquity · doi:10.2307/2694609 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Flood management on the lower Yellow River: hydrological and geomorphological perspectives
Shu, L., & FINLAYSON, B. L. (1993) · Sedimentary Geology · doi:10.1016/0037-0738(93)90089-n · Cited by 71 · see citing works
New Insights into the Evolution of an Intervalley Prehistoric Irrigation Canal System, North Coastal Peru
Huckleberry, G., Hayashida, F., & Johnson, J. (2012) · Geoarchaeology · doi:10.1002/gea.21420 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Irrigation, raised fields and state management: Wittfogel redux?
Butzer, K. W. (1996) · Antiquity · doi:10.1017/s0003598x00083083 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Quaternary sediments: Petrographic methods for the study of unlithified rocks
Krissek, L. A. (1992) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/0016-7037(92)90338-j · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Palaeochannels on the North China Plain: types and distributions
Chen, W., Xu, Q., Xiuqing, Z., et al. (1996) · Geomorphology · doi:10.1016/0169-555x(95)00147-w · Cited by 64 · see citing works
The Alluvial Geoarchaeology of the Sanyangzhuang Site on the Yellow River Floodplain, Henan Province, China
Kidder, T. R., Liu, H., Xu, Q., et al. (2012) · Geoarchaeology · doi:10.1002/gea.21411 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Self-citation
Is the hydraulic hypothesis dead yet? Irrigation and social change in ancient Yemen
Harrower, M. J. (2009) · World Archaeology · doi:10.1080/00438240802668354 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Geoarchaeological perspectives on paleolandscapes and regional subsurface archaeology
Stafford, C. R. (1995) · Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory · doi:10.1007/bf02228435 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Why does (archaeological) micromorphology have such little traction in (geo)archaeology?
Goldberg, P. S., & Aldeias, V. (2016) · Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences · doi:10.1007/s12520-016-0353-9 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Archaeology of the Chinese Bronze Age
Campbell, R. (2014) · Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press eBooks · doi:10.2307/j.ctvdjrr9r · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Sedimentary records of extraordinary floods at the ending of the mid-Holocene climatic optimum along the Upper Weihe River, China
Huang, C. C., Pang, J., Zha, X., et al. (2011) · The Holocene · doi:10.1177/0959683611409781 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Bridging theoretical gaps in geoarchaeology: archaeology, geoarchaeology, and history in the Yellow River valley, China
Kidder, T. R., & Liu, H. (2014) · Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences · doi:10.1007/s12520-014-0184-5 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Self-citation
Changing with the Yellow River: An Environmental History of Hebei, 1048-1128
Zhang, L. (2009) · Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies · doi:10.1353/jas.0.0001 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Holocene Avulsions of the Euphrates River in the Najaf Area of Western Mesopotamia: Impacts on Human Settlement Patterns
Jotheri, J., Allen, M. B., & Wilkinson, T. J. (2016) · Geoarchaeology · doi:10.1002/gea.21548 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Anthropocene archaeology of the Yellow River, China, 5000–2000 BP
Kidder, T. R., & Zhuang, Y. (2015) · The Holocene · doi:10.1177/0959683615594469 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Self-citation
Holocene landscape evolution and its impact on the neolithic and bronze age sites in the Shangqiu area, Northern China
Jing, Z., Rapp, G. R., & Gao, T. (1995) · Geoarchaeology · doi:10.1002/gea.3340100605 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Ancient China and its anthropological significance
Chang, K. (1989) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511558221.011 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Foothills and intermountain basins: Does China's Fertile Arc have ‘Hilly Flanks’?
Ren, X., Lemoine, X., Mo, D., Kidder, T. R., Guo, Y., Qin, Z., & Liu, X. (2016) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2016.04.001 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Self-citation
Historical bank-breachings of the lower Yellow River as influenced by drainage basin factors
Xu, J. (2001) · CATENA · doi:10.1016/s0341-8162(01)00136-9 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Agricultural manipulation of floodplains in the southern Basin and Range Province
Doolittle, W. E. (2006) · CATENA · doi:10.1016/j.catena.2005.11.002 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
An integrated socio-environmental approach to the study of ancient water systems: the case of prehistoric Hohokam irrigation systems in semi-arid central Arizona, USA
Purdue, L., & Berger, J. (2014) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2014.11.008 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Assessing Hohokam Canal Stability through Stratigraphy
Huckleberry, G. (1999) · Journal of Field Archaeology · doi:10.1179/009346999792005224 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
The urban hydrology and hydraulic engineering at the classic maya site of Palenque
French, K. D., Duffy, C. J., & Bhatt, G. (2013) · Water History · doi:10.1007/s12685-012-0069-4 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Human-environment interactions in the development of early Chinese civilization
Rapp, G. R., & Jing, Z. (2011) · Geological Society London Special Publications · doi:10.1144/sp352.10 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Han Agriculture. The Formation of Early Chinese Agrarian Economy (206 B.C.-A.D. 220)
de Crespigny, R. (1981) · Pacific Affairs · doi:10.2307/2757717 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Untitled work
Droxler (1983) · doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1983)11

Flagged first, then by citations

Sorted by citations

Lines in the landscape
Clifford, C., Bieroza, M., Clarke, S. J., Pickard, A., Stratigos, M. J., Hill, M. J., Raheem, N., Tatariw, C., Wood, P. J., Arismendi, I., et al. (2025) · Communications Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02699-y · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Self-citation

Authors: Storozum, M., Liu, H., Qin, Z., Ming, K., Fu, K., Wang, H., & Kidder, T.
Affiliations: Washington University in St. Louis (US)
Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology (CN)
Archaeological Research Unit Anyang P.R. China
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CN)
Corresponding author: Storozum, Michael
ORCID: Storozum, Michael
Liu, Haiwang
Wang, Hui
Kidder, Tristram
Venue: Geoarchaeology
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2017-07-13
Volume: 33
Issue: 2
Pages: 143-161
ISSN: 0883-6353 (ISSN-L)
1520-6548
DOI: 10.1002/gea.21634
OpenAlex: W2735751856
Cited by: 30
References: 82
Citations by year: 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1
FWCI: 1.75
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#am (am, 365 d)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations: Geoarchaeology (publishedVersion)
Funders: Explorers Club
National Geographic Society (970415)
Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (1458136)
Topics: Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Water management and technologies
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil and Environmental Studies
Keywords: irrigation canals, Late Shang dynasty, North China Plain, human-nature relationship, canal construction, geomorphological change, agricultural intensification

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Early evidence of irrigation technology in the North China Plain: Geoarchaeological investigations at the Anshang Site, Neihuang County, Henan Province, China

Abstract

Integrity signals

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Cites

Cited by

Related

Record

About these checks