Search Results (12)

The Shizhushan super-large wollastonite deposit, situated in the western segment of the Pingle Depression within the Qin–Hang metallogenic belt, represents the largest known wollastonite deposit in the world. The deposit formed mainly through contact metamorphism, followed by contact metasomatism. The ore bodies are hosted in the carbonate rocks of the Middle Permian Maokou Formation. The deposit consists of 12 ore bodies, which are controlled by the strata and occur as layered and lenticular bodies. The mineralization process is divided into an early contact metamorphism period (wollastonite–calcite and wollastonite–calcite–quartz stages) and later hydrothermal metasomatism period (wollastonite–garnet stage). This study examined the fluid inclusions in the contact metamorphic wollastonite ore bodies in this deposit. The results show that the types of inclusions are mainly liquid-rich two-phase inclusions, pure liquid-phase inclusions, and pure vapor-phase inclusions, with a small number of CO₂-H₂O three-phase inclusions. The homogenization temperature ranges of the different stages are 409.50~260.10 °C for the wollastonite–calcite stage and 283.60~132.40 °C for the wollastonite–calcite–quartz stage. The temperature and salinity of ore-forming fluids show an evolution from medium–high temperature and medium–low salinity to low temperature and low salinity. The minimum ore-forming depth of the deposit is 0.79~4.74 km, indicating a shallow, low-pressure environment. Based on the macrogeological characteristics, the tectonic fractures formed during the contact metamorphic period triggered decompression boiling of the ore-forming fluids, which led to the precipitation of mineralization materials and the subsequent mineralization. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the metallogenic geological setting, material sources, metallogenic process, and structural control factors, a trinity metallogenic model of the “carbonate rock + pluton + semi-open structural system” is established for the Shizhushan wollastonite deposit. Full article

Prior to the Tang Dynasty, interpretations of the Laozi fell into two traditions: the Pre-Qin and Han tradition, represented by Yan Zun, and the Wei–Jin tradition, represented by Wang Bi. The commentaries on the Laozi in circulation today are influenced by metaphysics in emphasizing “non-being” (wu) as the substance of the Dao (dao). Yan Zun’s Laozi zhigui 老子指歸 (lit. “Purport of the Laozi”) is the oldest extant commentary. In his thought, Yan carries on the legacies of the Laozi and the Zhuangzi and serves as a precursor to later religious Daoism. Yan Zun established a triadic framework—comprising the Dao, Vacuity, and Spontaneity—that shaped Han and Tang Daoism. This reading inherits the Pre-Qin Daoist principle that takes Vacuity as its ontological root and yielding softness as its operative function, laying the theoretical foundation for religious Daoist thought in the Jin and Tang dynasties. Yan Zun’s interpretations of the Laozi frequently surprise modern scholars, yet his views align closely with the contents of the Mawangdui Laozi silk manuscripts (c. 168 BCE) and Peking University Western Han bamboo-slip Laozi (c. 150 BCE), which demonstrates his distinctive scholarly contribution and contemporary relevance. Full article

Between the 15th and 17th centuries, as the Northern Hemisphere entered the Little Ice Age, the scale and frequency of hailstorms increased. In Ming Dynasty China, following the Han Dynasty’s “Interaction Between Heaven and Mankind” doctrine and the pre-Qin Confucian classic Zuo Zhuan’s interpretation that “when a sage rules, there is no hail,” linked these disasters to the moral conduct of the emperor. Others took a more agnostic, naturalistic approach, but in both cases, scapegoating was largely avoided. Building on existing Western scholarship on the link between witch hunts and hail, this paper will use Chinese classical interpretations, historical records of hail events from the Ming Dynasty, and the reactions of emperors and Confucian scholars as a point of reference. It aims to compare and contrast the different understandings and responses to hail disasters in Ming China and Europe. Full article

The idea of hell entails a type of extramundane retribution, and such extramundane retribution is useful as a deterrent to antisocial behaviour. This functionalist view of extramundane retribution was, in fact, explicitly countenanced during pre-imperial China. Also, like many roughly contemporaneous pre-Christian cultures in western Eurasia, pre-imperial China had a notion of an “underworld”. For early China, then, the more relevant “problem of hell” might be this one: why does hell appear to be so marginal? This paper surveys the idea of hell in the pre-Qin and Han periods, and concludes that an answer may be found in the Ruist appropriation of Zhou ideas about acquisition of virtue-power (de) and the afterlife, which were promulgated as state orthodoxy during the Han. With the fall of the Han, however, this state orthodoxy crumbled, and the culturally-adaptive memetic power of hell reasserted itself in the interdynastic and Tang periods. During these periods, a mélange of Buddhist and Daoist ideas of hell more strongly informed popular belief, and the idea of hell was arguably thereafter marginal in appearance only. Full article

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. Full article

Archaeological sites located on the edge of growing cities often struggle to reconcile heritage protection with rapid development. To understand this tension, we examined a 50.83 km² zone around the Western Han Imperial Mausoleums in the Qin-Han New District. Using Landsat images from 1992, 2002, 2012, and 2022, this study applied supervised classification, land-use transfer matrices, and dynamic-degree analysis to trace three decades of land-use change. From 1992 to 2022, built-up land expanded by 29.85 percentage points, largely replacing farmland, which shrank by 35.64 percentage points and became fragmented. Forest cover gained a modest 5.78 percentage points and migrated eastward toward the mausoleums. Overall, urban growth followed a “spread–integrate–connect” pattern along major roads. This study interprets these trends through five interrelated drivers, including policy, planning, economy, population, and heritage protection, and proposes an integrated management model. The model links archaeological pre-assessment with land-use compatibility zoning and active community participation. Together, these measures offer a practical roadmap for balancing conservation and sustainable land management at imperial burial complexes and similar urban fringe heritage sites. Full article

The Southern Hunan area is located in the superposition of the Qin-Hang Cu-Pb-Zn polymetallic ore belt and the Nanling W-Sn-Mo polymetallic ore belt, which is an important window to study the mineralization of W-Sn-Mo and Cu-Pb-Zn polymetallic deposits. The Baoshan deposit is a large Cu-Pb-Zn polymetallic deposit in Southern Hunan Province with obvious zones of Cu mineralization and Pb-Zn mineralization: the central part of the Baoshan deposit demonstrates contact metasomatic (skarn) Cu mineralization, while the western, northern and eastern parts demonstrate hydrothermal vein Pb-Zn mineralization. However, the origin and evolution of the ore-forming fluid and mechanism of Cu and Pb-Zn mineral precipitation are still unclear. The metallogenic process of the Baoshan Cu-Pb-Zn deposit can be divided into four stages: (1) the early skarn stage (S₁); (2) the late skarn stage (S₂); (3) the Cu-Fe sulfide stage (S₃); and (4) the Pb-Zn sulfide stage (S₄). The results of microtemperature measurements and a Raman spectrometric analysis of fluid inclusions show that the ore-forming fluid was the H₂O-NaCl (-CO₂ ± N₂ ± C₂H₆) system in the skarn stages (S₁ + S₂) and changed into the H₂O-NaCl-CO₂ (±N₂ ± C₂H₆) system in the sulfide stages (S₃ + S₄). The temperature (S₁: 436.6~548.2 °C; S₂: 344.1~435.1 °C; S₃: 134.1~413.1 °C; S₄: 183.9~261.0 °C) and salinity (S₁: 17.4~51.2 wt.%NaClequiv; S₂: 13.6~41.7 wt.%NaClequiv; S₃: 1.2~32.3 wt.%NaClequiv; S₄: 1.8~9.6 wt.%NaClequiv) showed a downward trend from the early to late stages. From the skarn stages (S₁ + S₂) to the sulfide stages (S₃ + S₄), the ore-forming pressure results from the static rock pressure and the hydrostatic pressure, and the ore-forming depth is estimated to be about three to six km. The C-H-O isotopic compositions of hydrothermal minerals such as quartz and calcite indicate that the ore-forming fluid is predominately magmatic fluid, but a significant amount of meteoric water is added in the Pb-Zn sulfide stage (S₄). The formation of the mineralization zonation of the Baoshan deposit is the result of many factors (e.g., stratigraphy, structure and metal precipitation mechanism): the Cu mineralization is controlled by the contact zone, and the Pb-Zn mineralization is controlled by the fault. In addition, the precipitation of Cu is mainly controlled by fluid boiling, while the precipitation of Pb and Zn is mainly controlled by the mixing of magmatic fluid and meteoric water. Full article

The thought of rule by virtue in ancient China holds a significant role in Chinese ideological history. Because of the similarity in nature and authority, morality in ancient China played a similar role to religion in Western countries. The Confucian rule by virtue thought in the pre-Qin dynasty profoundly influenced subsequent generations. During the pre-Qin period, Confucian rule by virtue thought evolved—from personal cultivation to statecraft, integrating law and ritual. Concepts of rule by rite, rule by man, and rule by virtue intertwined with the legal philosophies of Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi. Confucian moral governance focuses on human values and life quality, retaining relevance today. Constrained by historical and social contexts, it had unique dilemma and unobservable limitations. In order to eliminate the ideological dilemma, a return to virtue and law while adhering strictly to their boundaries is a feasible path for the Confucian rule by virtue thought from the pre-Qin Dynasty to the modern era. Full article

The first millennium BC saw the expansion of the Western Zhou dynasty in its northwestern frontier, alongside the rise and development of the Qin State in the Longshan Mountain region of northern China. Exploring the subsistence practices of these communities is crucial to gaining a better understanding of the social, cultural, and political landscape in this region at the time. While much of the research to date has focused on the Qin people, the subsistence practices of the Zhou people remain poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed animal remains from Yucun, a large settlement site associated with the Zhou people, located to the east of the Longshan Mountain. These animal remains were recovered in the excavation seasons of 2018–2020. Our results show that pigs, dogs, cattle, caprines, and horses, which were the major domestic animals at Yucun, accounted for over 90.8% of the animal remains examined in terms of the number of identified specimens (NISP) and 72.8% in terms of the minimum number of individuals (MNI), with cattle and caprines playing dominant roles. In terms of the taxonomic composition and the mortality profiles of pigs, caprines, and cattle, Yucun shared similarities with Maojiaping and Xishan, two contemporaneous Qin cultural sites located to the west of the Longshan Mountain, and differ from other farming societies in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River valley. Considering the cultural attributes and topographic conditions of these various sites, these findings imply that environmental conditions may have played a more significant role than cultural factors in shaping the animal-related subsistence practices in northern China during the first millennium BC. Full article

The form of community established by early Confucianism, represented by Confucius and Mencius, can be called the Ren Lun (人倫) community. This community order contains two interdependent dimensions: at the ethical level, it is primarily dominated by the parent-child relationship, with filial piety as its core dimension; at the moral level, its essence lies in the consciousness of human nature centered around Ren (仁), Yi (義), Li (禮) and Zhi (智) as its core, which goes beyond a mere universal human nature. This differs from the order of the Zong Fa (宗法) community in the Western Zhou Dynasty, whose axis is the way of brotherhood, with a vertical lineage connecting ancestors and descendants, in order to achieve unity and cohesion among the horizontal brother tribes. In the Zong Fa (宗法) community, morality and ethics are undifferentiated, and there is no distinction between individual and collective virtues, as well as ruling virtues and edifying virtues. The spiritual principle of the Zong Fa (宗法) community is Qin Qin Zun Zun (親親尊尊), which is both continuous and different from Ren Yi (仁義), revered by early Confucianism. Ren Yi (仁義) is extracted from Qin Qin Zun Zun (親親尊尊), but as a value principle, it possesses a higher universality. Qin Qin Zun Zun (親親尊尊) is a systemic principle closely tied to Zhou Li (周禮), while Ren Yi transcends the system as independent moral principles. Full article

Niche 6 in Cave 169 of Bingling Temple 炳靈寺 contains the earliest surviving Amitāyus sculpture triad in cave temples of China. This paper attempts to re-identify the textual sources of the ink inscription “De Dashizhi Pusa 得大勢志菩薩” (Skt. Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva) from the Amitāyus sculpture triad in Cave 169. At first, it corrects the misidentification of the inscription “De Dashizhi Pusa” in recent decades. Then, it discusses the relationship between multiple scriptures and “De Dashizhi Pusa”. Considering the configuration of the niches, the theme of the sutra, the translation and transmission history of the sutra, and the content of the statue, this paper concludes that the inscription “De Dashizhi Pusa” and niche 6 should have been significantly influenced by the Lotus Sutra 法華經, although this paper does not deny the indirect and partial influence from the Pure Land texts on the Amitāyus sculpture triad during its restoration process. Such a discovery not only sheds light on the configuration of the Lotus Sutra images, but also provides art historical evidence for future exploration of the relationship between the Lotus Sutra and Pure Land Buddhism. Full article

The rainfall-induced landslide early warning model (LEWM) is an important means to mitigate property loss and casualties, but the conventional discriminant matrix-based LEWM (DLEWM) leaves room for subjectivity and limits warning accuracy. Additionally, it is important to employ appropriate indicators to evaluate warning model performance. In this study, a new method for calculating the spatiotemporal probability of rainfall-induced landslides based on a Bayesian approach is proposed, and a probabilistic-based LEWM (PLEWM) at the regional scale is developed. The method involves four steps: landslide spatial probability modeling, landslide temporal probability modeling, coupling of spatial and temporal probability models, and the conversion method from the spatiotemporal probability index to warning levels. Each step follows the law of probability and is tested with real data. At the same time, we propose the idea of using economic indicators to evaluate the performance of the multilevel LEWM and reflect its significant and unique aspects. The proposed PLEWM and the conventional DLEWM are used to conduct simulate warnings for the study area day-by-day in the rainy season (July-September) from 2016 to 2020. The results show that the areas of the 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-level warning zones issued by the PLEWM account for 60.23%, 45.99%, and 43.98% of those of the DLEWM, respectively. The investment in issuing warning information and the losses caused by landslides account for 54.54% and 59.06% of those of the DLEWM, respectively. Moreover, under extreme rainfall conditions, the correct warning rate of the PLEWM is much higher than that of the DLEWM. Full article