Human-environment interaction systems between regional and continental scales in mid-latitude Eurasia during 6000–3000 years ago

Abstract

• The Late Neolithic and Bronze Ages witnessed the extensive expansion of human settlements, along with the dispersal of crops and livestock originating from West and East Asia. These events profoundly reshaped the human-environment relationship in mid-latitude Eurasia and the underlying trans-Eurasian exchange. While the processes and factors that underpin the interaction between human societies and ever-changing environments have been a heated debate in various regions of Eurasia, there is still a lack of synergistic discussion regarding human-environment interactions at regional and continental scales. To this end, we provide a comprehensive review and synthesis of updated radiocarbon dates and archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological data from sites dated between 6000 and 3000 cal. yr BP in mid-latitude Eurasia, coupled with associated archaeological and palaeoclimatic records. The results reveal the emergence and expansion of a number of regional settlement centers along the prehistoric Silk Roads and Eurasian Steppes during the 6th–4th millennium cal. yr BP. The prime drivers include the spread of new technologies, human migration, and climate change. As a result of successful food production and increasing social complexity, many areas have experienced rapid population growth, creating a foundation for subsequent widespread expansion of farming and herding communities across Eurasia. Under this overarching picture, many regional patterns arose due to specific natural and social conditions, weaving into broad spatiotemporal variations across Eurasia. A new conceptual model is proposed to depict this feedback loop of the interaction between human-environment systems at and between regional and continental scales.