Exploring Alternative Neolithization Trajectories in Northeast China: Insights from the Nen River Basin
Environmental Context and Climate Influence The Nen River Basin's unique environmental setting played a crucial role in shaping Neolithization trajectories. Fluctuations in Holocene climate conditions influenced vegetation patterns, water availability, and faunal distributions, directly impacting subsistence strategies. Communities adapted to these dynamic conditions by diversifying their food sources, balancing hunting, fishing, and early cultivation practices. This environmental variability fostered resilience and innovation, leading to distinct regional pathways toward sedentism and agricultural development. Subsistence Strategies and Economic Diversification Archaeological evidence from the Nen River Basin reveals that early communities did not abruptly shift to agriculture but instead adopted a mixed economy. Hunting, gathering, fishing, and primitive farming coexisted, allowing societies to mitigate risks associated with environmental uncertainties. This diversified subs...