Historical evolution of Chinese civilization in the context of natural environmental change

Chinese civilization has continuously developed and formed on the foundation of China’s unique natural environment. Its formation process and cultural characteristics are intimately and intricately linked to the historical evolution of the natural environment, including changes in climate, hydrological systems, and land use. Currently, academic scholarship on the historical evolution of Chinese civilization is predominantly based on the findings of the humanities; the influence of natural environmental change has not been systematically and scientifically considered in unveiling the formation and development of the civilization. Adopting a perspective of deep interdisciplinary integration between the natural sciences and humanities, this study synthesizes existing research on the historical changes in natural geographical elements, such as the climate and environment, since the Holocene. It systematically reviews evidence from disciplines such as archaeology and historical geography, comprehensively analyzes the natural environmental factors within the spatiotemporal process of the formation of Chinese civilization, and reveals the significance of the human-environment relationship in shaping its evolution. Based on this systematic review, the study presents three main scientific findings: (1) The uniqueness of China’s geographical environment laid the foundation for the endogenous nature and the fundamental pattern of “unity in diversity” of Chinese civilization. (2) Climate change facilitated the early origins of Chinese civilization and subsequently drove ethnic exchange and integration throughout its historical development. (3) Throughout historical periods, the primary strategy of the human-environment relationship was human adaptation; yet, the influence of human agency on the natural world progressively increased. In conclusion, there is an urgent need to conduct systematic and scientific research on Chinese civilization from the perspective of the human-environment relationship. Through in-depth interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration between the fields of geography, climatology, history, and archaeology, we can deepen our understanding of the historical development of Chinese civilization and provide historical lessons and insights for addressing contemporary environmental challenges.