Abstract:

 Based on the ArcGIS spatial analysis, in this paper the geostatistical methods including the kernel density estimation, average nearest neighbor index and global spatial autocorrelation were used to study the spatiotemporal evolution of 14 339 ancient cultural relics and the affecting factors on the Tibetan Plateau since the Holocene. The results showed that the nearest neighbor index of each ancient cultural relic was less than 1. The value of the global Moran’s I was between 0 and 1, there was a positive spatial autocorrelation of the ancient cultural relics, and the ancient cultural relics were distributed in an agglomeration way. The distribution core of the ancient cultural relics experienced a transition from the plateau hinterland (the Paleolithic period) to the southeastern marginal valley (the Neolithic period) and to the eastern region (after the Bronze Age). The morphological characteristics of the ancient cultural relics experienced a uniform distribution (the Paleolithic period), the marginal valley type (the Neolithic period), the valley agglomeration type (bronze period), the degraded dispersion type (the Tibetan regime tribe period), and the half-moon widespread type (the Tubo Dynasty period), the plaque-type (the Yuan Dynasty), and the contiguous cluster (the Ming and Qing dynasties) changes. The spatiotemporal distribution of the ancient cultural relics on the Tibetan Plateau was the result jointly affected by the altitude, climate change, changes of vegetation and other natural conditions, and production mode, technology, war, population migration, political policies, etc.

Key words: Holocene, ancient cultural relic, spatiotemporal change, Tibetan Plateau