Sea Level Changes and Prehistoric Societies of the Shandong Peninsula

SHI Jixiang

Archaeological research into ancient human societies is inseparable from the exploration of their natural environmental context, yet the integration of geo-scientific findings into archaeological studies remains inadequate. The coastal Shandong Peninsula, a core part of the Haidai Cultural Region and a highly active area of Holocene sea–land interaction in eastern China, boasts a well-documented Neolithic cultural sequence from the Beixin to the Longshan Culture. Shaped by Holocene sea-level changes, climatic fluctuations and geomorphic evolution, it forms a distinctive model of human–environment interaction, making it a typical case for such research. However, existing studies in this area are scattered and lack systematic integration. This paper reviews Neolithic human–environment research on the coastal Shandong Peninsula from three dimensions, focusing on three geographic subunits: the southern coast of Laizhou Bay, the Jiaodong Peninsula and the southeastern Shandong coast. Firstly, it examines archaeological research on human activities, including cultural pedigrees, settlement selection, subsistence economies and handicrafts, revealing obvious regional differences: the southern Laizhou Bay featured specialised salt production in the Longshan period; the Jiaodong Peninsula saw a subsistence shift from marine foraging to millet-based dry farming; and southeastern Shandong developed rice-dominated mixed farming and highly specialised stone tool production in the Longshan period. Secondly, it summarises palaeoclimatic and geomorphic studies, noting that all three subunits experienced Holocene warming–wetting followed by cooling–drying and sea-level transgression–regression, while differing in geomorphic evolution: stable subsidence and dramatic coastal changes in the southern Laizhou Bay; slow uplift with sandbar–lagoon and aeolian dune development in the Jiaodong Peninsula; and scarce targeted geomorphic research in southeastern Shandong. Thirdly, it reviews current human–environment interaction studies, discussing the links between coastal evolution and human activities, the demise of shell mound sites and prehistoric cultural adaptations to the environment across subunits. The paper further identifies key deficiencies in existing research: a single research perspective focusing only on superficial environmental adaptation without in-depth analysis of mechanisms; flawed and lagging research methods, such as distorted pollen data and GIS analysis based on modern surface data; and unbalanced research progress, especially the gap between solid archaeological data and weak human–environment research in southeastern Shandong. By systematically integrating scattered findings and clarifying research gaps, this study provides a foundation and reference for future in-depth research on Neolithic human–environment relationships in the coastal Shandong Peninsula and points out directions for methodological and perspectival improvement in related studies.