Climate change and Zhou relocations in early Chinese history

Huang, Chun Chang; Su, Hongxia

doi:10.1016/j.jhg.2008.08.006

Cited by 51Archaeology and ancient environmental studiesGeology and Paleoclimatology ResearchHistorical and Environmental Studies

Climate change and Zhou relocations in early Chinese history

Huang, Chun Chang, Su, Hongxia·2009·Journal of Historical Geography

DOI 10.1016/j.jhg.2008.08.006

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.jhg.2008.08.006

Cites

Statistics

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

Claims the paper makes

We couldn’t retrieve this paper’s full text, 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?

Over the last 2000 years, warm and humid periods have grown shorter while cold and dry periods have lengthened.
“Over the last 2000 years, warm and humid periods have grown shorter while cold and dry periods have lengthened.34”
From Climate change and Chinese history: a review of trends, topics, and methods (2015) · cites this paper as [34]

Sorted by citations

Settlement abandonment in the context of global environmental change
McLeman, R. A. (2011) · Global Environmental Change · doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.08.004 · Cited by 180 · see citing works
Natural disasters, migration and education: an empirical analysis in developing countries
Drabo, A., & Mbaye, L. M. (2014) · Environment and Development Economics · doi:10.1017/s1355770x14000606 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
“For example, the climatic factor is seen as one of the main drivers of migration in the context of ancient Chinese history (Huang and Su, 2009).”
Background
Climate and history: a critical review of historical climatology and climate change historiography
Carey, M. (2012) · WIREs Climate Change · doi:10.1002/wcc.171 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Mid-Holocene climate change and its effect on prehistoric cultural evolution in eastern Qinghai Province, China
Dong, G., Jia, X., An, C., et al. (2011) · Quaternary Research · doi:10.1016/j.yqres.2011.10.004 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
“The impact of climate change on the evolution of cultures is an important issue and has been widely studied (e.g., Cullen et al., 2000; Brenner et al., 2001; DeMenocal, 2001; Weiss and Bradley, 2001; Huang et al., 2002; Feynman, 2007; Huang and Su, 2009).”
Background
Holocene linkages between char, soot, biomass burning and climate from Lake Daihai, China
Han, Y., Marlon, J. R., Cao, J., Jin, Z., & An, Z. (2012) · Global Biogeochemical Cycles · doi:10.1029/2011gb004197 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
“of intensive agriculture also made it an area of frequent conflict between nomadic tribes and settled farming societies [Huang and Su, 2009].”
Background
Holocene wildfire history and human activity from high-resolution charcoal and elemental black carbon records in the Guanzhong Basin of the Loess Plateau, China
Tan, Z., Han, Y., Cao, J., Huang, C. C., & An, Z. (2014) · Quaternary Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.11.013 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
“Many Bronze-age cities were built on the Zhouyuan loess tableland in the western part of Ganzhong Basin during the Bronze Age and the early Iron Age (Huang and Su, 2009).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Climate, disasters, wars and the collapse of the Ming Dynasty
Liu, Q., Li, G., Kong, D., Huang, B., & Wang, Y. (2018) · Environmental Earth Sciences · doi:10.1007/s12665-017-7194-4 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
“Climate fluctuations in historical periods have deeply impacted turmoil, wars, the replacement of dynasties, population fluctuations and migrations in ancient Chinese society (Fang et al. 2015; Huang and Su 2009; Lee et al. 2009; Wang et al. 2010; Yancheva et al. 2007; Zhang et al. 2007, 2008, 2010; Zhao 2012).”
Background
Temporal trends in millet consumption in northern China
Atahan, P., Dodson, J., Li, X., Zhou, X., Chen, L., Barry, L. A., & Bertuch, F. (2014) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2014.07.012 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
“expanded northwards, while during periods of drought or unstable conditions, the boundary moved southwards (Huang et al., 2002, 2003; Huang and Su, 2009; Zhou et al., 2012).”
Background
Climate change and Chinese history: a review of trends, topics, and methods
Fan, K. (2015) · WIREs Climate Change · doi:10.1002/wcc.331 · Cited by 56 · 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
“These disasters are obviously related to the monsoonal shift and climatic aridity around 3100 yr BP (Huang and Su, 2009).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Historical geography III
Offen, K. H. (2013) · Progress in Human Geography · doi:10.1177/0309132513501429 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Introduction: Managed retreat and environmental justice in a changing climate
Siders, A. R., & Ajibade, I. M. (2021) · Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences · doi:10.1007/s13412-021-00700-6 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
“In response, people around the world are moving (Greiving et al. 2018; Linke et al. 2018; Mach et al. 2019; Forsyth and Peiser 2021), as people have done throughout history (Huang and Su 2009; McAdam 2015; deMenocal and Stringer 2016; Timmermann and Friedrich 2016).”
Background
Holocene wildfires related to climate and land-use change over the Weihe River Basin, China
Tan, Z., Huang, C. C., Pang, J., et al. (2010) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.03.008 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Self-citation
Wildfire history and climatic change in the semi-arid loess tableland in the middle reaches of the Yellow River of China during the Holocene: Evidence from charcoal records
Tan, Z., Huang, C. C., Pang, J., et al. (2013) · The Holocene · doi:10.1177/0959683613493936 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
“This result was confirmed by the remains of settlement during the Qin and Han Dynasties which was found in the loess tableland nearby (Archaeological Institute of CASS, 1991; Huang and Su, 2009).”
ResultSelf-citation
Climate Change, Natural Disasters and Migration: An Empirical Analysis in Developing CountriesPreprint
Drabo, A., & Mbaye, L. M. (2011) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.1921978 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Middle to late Holocene changes in climate, hydrology, vegetation and culture on the Hangjiahu Plain, southeast China
Zhang, Y., Ye, W., Ma, C., Li, Y., Li, C., & Zhu, L. (2020) · Journal of Paleolimnology · doi:10.1007/s10933-020-00132-2 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Investigating extreme flood response to Holocene palaeoclimate in the Chinese monsoonal zone: A palaeoflood case study from the Hanjiang River
Guo, Y., Huang, C. C., Pang, J., et al. (2015) · Geomorphology · doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.03.014 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Self-citation
Paleofloods recorded by slackwater deposits in the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River valley, middle Yangtze River basin, China
Wang, L., Huang, C. C., Pang, J., et al. (2014) · Journal of Hydrology · doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.08.002 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Self-citation
Spatiotemporal evolution of prehistoric Neolithic-Bronze Age settlements and influencing factors in the Guanting Basin, northeast Tibetan Plateau
Cui, Y., Liu, Y., & Ma, M. (2017) · Science China Earth Sciences · doi:10.1007/s11430-017-9138-8 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Nature–Culture Relations: Early Globalization, Climate Changes, and System Crisis
Chew, S. C., & Sarabia, D. (2016) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su8010078 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“However, it is important to incorporate the observations made in recent paleoclimactic studies that document changes in the physical environment of the Bronze Age world [153].”
Background
The linkages with fires, vegetation composition and human activity in response to climate changes in the Chinese Loess Plateau during the Holocene
Tan, Z., Han, Y., Cao, J., Huang, C. C., Mao, L., Liu, Z., & An, Z. (2018) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2018.03.041 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Self-citation
Human settlement and human–environment interactions during the historical period in Zhuanglang County, western Loess Plateau, China
Dong, G., Yang, Y., Zhao, Y., Zhou, A., Xinjia, Z., Li, X., & Chen, F. (2012) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2012.05.006 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Mid-late Holocene temperature and precipitation variations in the Guanting Basin, upper reaches of the Yellow River
Zhao, H., Huang, C. C., Wang, H., et al. (2018) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2018.05.009 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Self-citation
Paleochannel of the Yellow River within the Zoige Basin and its environmental significance on the NE Tibetan Plateau
Xiao, Q., Zhang, Y., Wang, N., Huang, C. C., Qiu, H., Zhu, Y., Wang, H., Jia, Y., Chen, D., Wang, C., et al. (2022) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158242 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Self-citation
Char and soot records of the Holocene fire history and its implications for climate-vegetation change and human activities within the Guanzhong Basin, southern Loess Plateau, China
Zhang, Y., Xiao, Q., Zhu, Y., Wang, N., Wu, M., Li, Y., Li, J., Chen, D., Huang, X., Wang, S., et al. (2023) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168564 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Holocene climatic events recorded in palaeoflood slackwater deposits along the middle Yiluohe River valley, middle Yellow River basin, China
Zhao, X., Huang, C. C., Pang, J., et al. (2016) · Journal of Asian Earth Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2016.04.002 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Self-citation
Multiproxy studies of lake sediments during mid-Holocene in Zhengzhou region of the Henan Province, central China, and the implications for reconstructing the paleoenvironments
Wang, L., Hu, S., Yu, G., et al. (2019) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2019.06.039 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Sedimentary record and luminescence chronology of palaeoflood events along the Gold Gorge of the upper Hanjiang River, middle Yangtze River basin, China
Guo, Y., Huang, C. C., Zhou, Y., et al. (2017) · Journal of Asian Earth Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2017.12.034 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Self-citation
Mapping spatiotemporal variations of Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements in the Gansu-Qinghai region, China: Scale grade, chronological development, and social organization
Li, Y., Lü, P., Mao, L., et al. (2021) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2021.105357 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Field Model-Based Cultural Diffusion Patterns and GIS Spatial Analysis Study on the Spatial Diffusion Patterns of Qijia Culture in China
Wang, Y., Wang, N., Zhao, X., Liang, X., Liu, J., Yang, P., Wang, Y., & Wang, Y. (2022) · Remote Sensing · doi:10.3390/rs14061422 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Palaeoflood events and climate change at the turning time from the Shang to Zhou Dynasty in the Longmen reach of the Yellow River
Binnan, S., Chunchang, H., Jiangli, P., et al. (2017) · Journal of Lake Sciences · doi:10.18307/2017.0125 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Impact of Abrupt Late Holocene Monsoon Climate Change on the Status of an Alpine Lake in North China
Cheng, B., Liu, J., Chen, S., et al. (2020) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/2019jd031877 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“This is consistent with a reduction in rainfall (Huang et al., 2002, 2003; Huang & Su, 2009; Zhang et al., 2008).”
Result
New insights on the origin of fired steatite beads in China
Xu, S., Deng, F., Abuduresule, I., et al. (2024) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2024.105939 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Ancient water wells reveal a prolonged drought in the lower Yellow River area about 2800 years ago
Yu, S., Chen, X., Liu, X., et al. (2018) · 中国科学通报：英文版 · doi:10.1016/j.scib.2018.09.017 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
The 2.8 ka climatic event contributed to the collapse of the Western Zhou Dynasty
Li, M., Wang, L., Cai, B., Zhao, L. H., Wang, F., Lei, G., Wang, L., Wang, L., Ma, Z., & Hao, Q. (2025) · Communications Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02769-1 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“However, thepotential roleofclimatechangeinthecollapse of the Western Zhou and the subsequent population migration has been largely ignored, despite the fact that this period may coincide with the documented weakened East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) event at 2.8 ka 10,11,19 .”
Influential
Climate change in Chinese rural village: is the community aware? A case study in Cuandixia, using the Photovoice method
Dupré, K., Dai, L., & Xu, B. (2016) · International Journal of Tourism Cities · doi:10.1108/ijtc-07-2016-0016 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Historical perspectives on climate change and its influence on nature
Haque, S. E. (2022) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-99714-0.00003-0 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Where next for managed retreat: Bringing in history, community and under‐researched places
Aiken, G. T., & Mabon, L. (2023) · Area · doi:10.1111/area.12890 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Archaeological perspectives on conflict and warfare in Australia and the Pacific
Clark, G., & Litster, M. (2022) · ANU Press eBooks · doi:10.22459/ta54.2021.01 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
China and the environment: The question of scale
Rodenbiker, J., & Teebken, J. A. (2026) · Chinese Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1177/2057150x261417716 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Historical works tend to focus on the historical evolution of human – environment interactions in China (Fan, 2023; Fang et al., 2024; Huang and Su, 2009; Xiao et al., 2015; van Ess, 2022).”
Küresel İklim Değişikliğinin Dünyada Düzensiz Göçler Üzerindeki Yeri
Yıldız, İ. (2025) · Göç Araştırmaları Dergisi · doi:10.70972/gad.1633015 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Current Bibliography of the History of Science and Its Cultural Influences, 2011
(2011) · Isis · doi:10.1086/664935 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
A Dynamic Human Socioecology of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Ulster
Thurston, T. L., & Plunkett, G. (2013) · Geophysical monograph · doi:10.1029/2012gm001227
Cosmopolitan Temporalities: A Sociological Analysis on Climate Imageries in Brazil and China
Fetz, M., Bosco, E. M. G. R. L., & Palmieri, E. R. D. C. (2017) · Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences · doi:10.1007/s40647-017-0180-0
青藏高原东北部官亭盆地新石器-青铜时代聚落时空演变及其影响因素
崔, 一., 刘, 雨., & 马, 敏. (2017) · SCIENTIA SINICA Terrae · doi:10.1360/n072017-00122
Water Use in Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) with Applications in Irrigation Timing and Quantity
Colver, P. S. (2020) · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · doi:10.26076/d1b2-c44b
“Currently, a majority of China’s population is supported by irrigated agriculture (Wu et al., 2010); however, China is on the verge of losing food security (Long et al., 2010), and population migration has been documented as a result of deforestation and drought in the region (Huang and Su, 2009).”
Background
The Evolving Landscape of Inquiry: Climate’s Growing Importance in Reconstructing Ancient China
Jaffe, Y. Y., Womack, A., & Hein, A. (2025) · Heritage · doi:10.3390/heritage8040125
Preliminary analysis on the cause of the pale pink colouration of human bones from Baoji archaeological sites by stimulated Raman scattering imaging
Li, J., Zhang, C., Wang, Q., et al. (2025) · npj Heritage Science · doi:10.1038/s40494-025-01832-6
“This region is located in the Guanzhong area of Shaanxi, which wasoneof the major political centres inancientChina 32,33 .”
Evolutionary history of a paleo-oxbow lake in the Yellow River within the Zoige Basin, NE Tibetan Plateau
Cao, P., Zhang, Y., Zhu, Y., et al. (2025) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109938
Self-citation
Dietary Adaptation on the Southern Loess Plateau during the Bronze Age: Stable Isotope Evidence from the Jucun Cemetery, ChinaPreprint
Sun, Y., & Zhao, T. (2025) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.5840572
Climate-adaptive morphological evolution of rural settlements from antiquity to the present: A multiscale analysis based on historical data, perception surveys, and microclimate modeling
Xin, K., Zhao, J., Lu, Z., et al. (2026) · Sustainable Cities and Society · doi:10.1016/j.scs.2026.107427

Authors: Huang, C. C., & Su, H.
Affiliations: Shaanxi Normal University (CN)
Xi'an International Studies University (CN)
Corresponding author: Huang, Chun Chang
ORCID: Huang, Chun Chang
Su, Hongxia
Venue: Journal of Historical Geography
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2009-04
Volume: 35
Issue: 2
Pages: 297-310
ISSN: 0305-7488 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhg.2008.08.006
OpenAlex: W2042448975
Cited by: 51
References: 0
Citations by year: 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 3
FWCI: 1.52
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Journal of Historical Geography (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China
National Social Science Fund of China
Topics: Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Historical and Environmental Studies
Keywords: climate change, Holocene climatic optimum, drought, nomadic invasions, Loess Plateau, Mongolian steppe, Guanzhong Basin, environmental change, settlement migration, cereal cultivation, rainfed agriculture, Yellow River

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

Climate change and Zhou relocations in early Chinese history

Integrity signals

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Cited by

Related

Record

About these checks