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Article

Ecological Wisdom Study of the Han Dynasty Settlement Site in Sanyangzhuang Based on Landscape Archaeology

1
College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
2
Henan Provincial International Research Center for Agri-Cultural and Landscape Communication, Zhengzhou 450002, China
3
Sino-Italy International Joint Lab of Smart Human Settlements, Zhengzhou 450000, China
4
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Via Breccie Bianche 10, 60131 Ancona, Italy
5
Henan Provincial Joint International Research Laboratory of Landscape Architecture, Zhengzhou 450002, China
6
College of Electrical Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Heritage 2025, 8(11), 466; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8110466
Submission received: 28 September 2025 / Revised: 31 October 2025 / Accepted: 3 November 2025 / Published: 6 November 2025

Abstract

This study systematically investigates settlement sites that record living patterns of ancient humans, aiming to reveal the interactive mechanisms of human–environment relationships. The core issues of landscape archeology research are the surface spatial structure, human spatial cognition, and social practice activities. This article takes the Han Dynasty settlement site in Sanyangzhuang, Neihuang County, Anyang City, Henan Province, as a typical case. It comprehensively uses ArcGIS 10.8 spatial analysis and remote sensing image interpretation techniques to construct spatial distribution models of elevation, slope, and aspect in the study area, and analyzes the process of the Yellow River’s ancient course changes. A regional historical geographic information system was constructed by integrating multiple data sources, including archeological excavation reports, excavated artifacts, and historical documents. At the same time, the sequences of temperature and dry–wet index changes in the study area during the Qin and Han dynasties were quantitatively reconstructed, and a climate evolution map for this period was created based on ancient climate proxy indicators. Drawing on three dimensions of settlement morphology, architectural spatial organization, and agricultural technology systems, this paper provides a deep analysis of the site’s spatial cognitive logic and the ecological wisdom it embodies. The results show the following: (1) The Sanyangzhuang Han Dynasty settlement site reflects the efficient utilization strategy and environmental adaptation mechanism of ancient settlements for land resources, presenting typical scattered characteristics. Its formation mechanism is closely related to the evolution of social systems in the Western Han Dynasty. (2) In terms of site selection, settlements consider practicality and ceremony, which can not only meet basic living needs, but also divide internal functional zones based on the meaning implied by the orientation of the constellations. (3) The widespread use of iron farming tools has promoted the innovation of cultivation techniques, and the implementation of the substitution method has formed an ecological regulation system to cope with seasonal climate change while ensuring agricultural yield. The above results comprehensively reflect three types of ecological wisdom: “ecological adaptation wisdom of integrating homestead and farmland”, “spatial cognitive wisdom of analogy, heaven, law, and earth”, and “agricultural technology wisdom adapted to the times”. This study not only deepens our understanding of the cultural value of the Han Dynasty settlement site in Sanyangzhuang, but also provides a new theoretical perspective, an important paradigm reference, and a methodological reference for the study of ancient settlement ecological wisdom.
Keywords: landscape archaeology; settlement site; ecological wisdom; Sanyangzhuang Han Dynasty settlement site; agricultural heritage landscape archaeology; settlement site; ecological wisdom; Sanyangzhuang Han Dynasty settlement site; agricultural heritage

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Cao, Y.; Jiang, H.; Choudhury, M.A.M.; Liu, H.; Tian, G.; Wu, X.; Marcheggiani, E. Ecological Wisdom Study of the Han Dynasty Settlement Site in Sanyangzhuang Based on Landscape Archaeology. Heritage 2025, 8, 466. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8110466

AMA Style

Cao Y, Jiang H, Choudhury MAM, Liu H, Tian G, Wu X, Marcheggiani E. Ecological Wisdom Study of the Han Dynasty Settlement Site in Sanyangzhuang Based on Landscape Archaeology. Heritage. 2025; 8(11):466. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8110466

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cao, Yingming, He Jiang, MD Abdul Mueed Choudhury, Hangzhe Liu, Guohang Tian, Xiang Wu, and Ernesto Marcheggiani. 2025. "Ecological Wisdom Study of the Han Dynasty Settlement Site in Sanyangzhuang Based on Landscape Archaeology" Heritage 8, no. 11: 466. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8110466

APA Style

Cao, Y., Jiang, H., Choudhury, M. A. M., Liu, H., Tian, G., Wu, X., & Marcheggiani, E. (2025). Ecological Wisdom Study of the Han Dynasty Settlement Site in Sanyangzhuang Based on Landscape Archaeology. Heritage, 8(11), 466. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8110466

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