Survival strategy selection and adaptation in the Northern Loess Plateau during the Longshan period: Insights from arable land reconstruction

Abstract

Stable food resources constitute the material foundation for the long-term sustainability of large prehistoric settlements (cities). Building on this premise, this study employs a arable land reconstruction model, integrating paleoclimate, zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical evidence, to comprehensively analyze food procurement strategies at Shimao—a central settlement during the Longshan (LS) period in the Northern Loess Plateau (NLP). Herein, our research revealed that the arable land resources surrounding Shimao were insufficient to meet its internal demands, suggesting potential intra-regional mobilization of food resources, with the nearest sources likely located in the lower reaches of the Tuwei River. Furthermore, in the sandy-grassland area of the northwestern study region, where ecological conditions were relatively harsh, ancient inhabitants enhanced their environmental adaptability through broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) cultivation and intensified utilization of cattle and sheep.