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History in points, lines and polygons: time depth in the landscape of Guangdong Province, southern China

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Sam Turner

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Abstract

Change and persistence are often richly entangled facets of landscapes. While many studies use land use/land cover (depicted as polygons) to illustrate landscape evolution, this paper draws on approaches from landscape archaeology to investigate how lines and points can also be used to examine landscape morphologies. The study uses three distinct spatial elements: points (graves), lines (field boundaries), and polygons (land use) to represent landscape transformations and reflect time depth in the landscape. The paper aims to identify the most enduring landscape elements within the region and uncover the underlying mechanisms of persistence. It is suggested that the time depth exhibited in field boundaries surpasses that of land use in this case. Field boundaries provide a useful way to examine agricultural intensification, whereas land use is more sensitive to agricultural commercialization and urbanization. In addition, the Chinese Feng Shui funeral culture emerges as a stabilizing force that encourages landscape persistence. This cultural driver ensures the persistence of field patterns surrounding graves, making these fields the most ancient plots within the study area. In conclusion, representing the time depth of landscapes through linear features and points can serve as an important supplement to the study of landscape change based on land use

Publication metadata

Author(s): Pan Y, Bai J, Turner S

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Land

Year: 2023

Volume: 12

Issue: 11

Print publication date: 01/11/2023

Online publication date: 26/10/2023

Acceptance date: 23/10/2023

Date deposited: 26/10/2023

ISSN (electronic): 2073-445X

Publisher: MDPI AG

URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/land12111979

DOI: 10.3390/land12111979

Data Access Statement: The data presented in this study are available upon request from the corresponding author

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