Excessive Rainfall Might Have Doomed Ancient Chinese Civilization - Archaeology Magazine

Excessive Rainfall Might Have Doomed Ancient Chinese Civilization - Archaeology Magazine

Researchers analyzed this stalagmite in China's Yeshang Cave to create a "rainfall yearbook" for the Yangtze Valley. OXFORD, ENGLAND—Around 4,600 years ago, a Neolithic Chinese civilization known as the Shijiahe culture flourished in the Middle Yangtze Valley. The advanced ancient society built palaces, extensive defensive networks, and sophisticated water management systems, as well as thriving pottery and jade industries, before they suddenly …