Hydrological Regime, Provenance, and Impacts on Cultural Development at Changsha Kiln Archaeological Site since 1300 a, Lower Xiangjiang River, China

Changsha kilns were exported to more than 20 countries and regions and were an essential part of the culture in the central Yangtze River during the late Holocene. Reconstructing the hydrological landform and sedimentary history of its surrounding areas (Shizhu) is significant for further constraining any links between regional paleoenvironmental change and the human−land relationship in the lager river valley. To examine paleo−hydrological and provenance evolution, the rare earth element (REE) and trace element ratio from the Shizhuping (SZP) section were analyzed. The SZP section records the paleo−hydrological evolution over 1300 years: river network cutting plain landscape—Shizhu Lake—river floodplain—Shizhu Lake reformation—Shizhu flat. This section was labeled as stages IV to I, respectively. The deposition of stages IV was wind and dust accumulation during the Last Glacial. The provenance of stages III (1288–1094 a.BP) was wasted from the ceramic production process. The layer of stage II (1094–380 a.BP) was in two parts. In stage II−2 (1094–890 a.BP), provenance was dominated by granite. Sedimentary rocks became the source of stage II−1 (890–380 a.BP). In stages I (380 a.BP–), the primary material sources were anthropogenic bedding and weathering erosion deposits around the slope. During the Medieval Warm Period, the climate was warm and humid, and the rising water level of the Xiangjiang River led to the emergence of lakes in the Shizhu area. The migration of northern China into Changsha kiln brought new technology and labor. In the late Five Dynasties, the climate turned dry, and the falling water level of the Xiangjiang River caused Changsha kiln to lose its commercial wharf.