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Spatiotemporal characteristics of cultural sites and their driving forces in the Ili River Valley during historical periods

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Abstract

This study applies ArcGIS to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of cultural sites in the Ili River Valley in northwestern China. It explores relationships between the sites’ spatiotemporal evolutionary characteristics, human history, and the natural environment. The results indicate that the numbers and proportions of the sites, and the frequency of their occurrence, exhibited an inverted V-shaped change trend during six historical periods. The “high in the east and low in the west” spatial distribution pattern of the first three periods shifted to the one the “high in the west and low in the east” during the latter three periods, demonstrating a change in the spatial center of gravity of human activities. The sites were mainly distributed on slopes of grades 1–5, with their proportions increasing from 75% during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC–476 BC)–Qin Dynasty (221 BC–207 BC) to 93.75% during the Qing Dynasty–Modern period. The concentrated distribution of site elevations shifted from grades 4–8 during the Spring and Autumn Period–Qin Dynasty, and the Western Han (206 BC–8)–Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–589), to grades 1–4 during the latter three periods. The number of sites showed a shifting trend from high-elevation mountains and hills to low-elevation plains, and from high slopes to low slopes. In particular, the sites exhibited a special “moist” evolutionary pattern of migration from middle and upstream areas to downstream areas, as opposed to the migration pattern of sites located in typical arid areas. The study also considered factors influencing the distribution and spatiotemporal evolution of cultural sites, notably, human factors and natural factors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi, 830011, China

    Fang Wang, Zhaoping Yang, Hui Shi, Zhaoguo Wang, Xingyou Zhao, Wenmin Qin & Wenjie Wu

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Fang Wang, Hui Shi, Zhaoguo Wang, Wenmin Qin & Wenjie Wu

  3. Business School, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, Zhejiang, China

    Fuming Luan

  4. College of Art and Science, Beijing Union University, Beijing, 100083, China

    Heigang Xiong

  5. Tourism School, Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics, Urumqi, 830012, China

    Dong Li

Authors
  1. Fang Wang
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  2. Zhaoping Yang
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  3. Fuming Luan
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  4. Heigang Xiong
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  5. Hui Shi
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  7. Xingyou Zhao
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  8. Wenmin Qin
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  9. Wenjie Wu
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  10. Dong Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhaoping Yang.

Additional information

Foundation: National Science and Technology Pillar Program, No.2012BAH48F01; Chinese Academy of Sciences Visiting Professorship for Senior International Scientists, No.2013T2Z0004; National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41171165; No.41301204

Author: Wang Fang (1984–), PhD, specialized in the human-environmental interaction and regional sustainable development.

Yang Zhaoping (1964−), Professor

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Wang, F., Yang, Z., Luan, F. et al. Spatiotemporal characteristics of cultural sites and their driving forces in the Ili River Valley during historical periods. J. Geogr. Sci. 25, 1089–1108 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-015-1221-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-015-1221-8

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