Early to middle Holocene rice cultivation in response to coastal environmental transitions along the South Hangzhou Bay of eastern China

Abstract South Hangzhou Bay (SHB) in eastern China is one of the regions where agriculture began in the early Holocene. To better understand how farming-based societies developed in this region, we examined pollen, charcoal, foraminifera and grain size information of a well-dated sediment core (YJ1503) in the Yaojiang Valley (YJV). Pollen assemblages show that before 8600 cal yr BP, Pinus, Quercus, Juglans and Pterocarya woodlands were dominant. During ca.8600–8400 cal yr BP, abundant foraminifera suggest a transient marine incursion. Although the former woodland species re-established during 8400–7600 cal yr BP, freshwater algae and dinoflagellates indicate a transition to brackish environments. Two peaks of charcoal at around 8200 and 7800 cal yr BP, are possible early signs of human occupation that pre-dated the Hemudu Culture. After 7600 cal yr BP, an increase of salt-tolerant herbs including Chenopodiaceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae (