Articles | Volume 17, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1395-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1395-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
29 Jun 2021
Research article |
| 29 Jun 2021
| 29 Jun 2021
Climate-driven desertification and its implications for the ancient Silk Road trade
Guanghui Dong
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Leibin Wang
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Centre for Climate and Environmental Changes, School of Geographical Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
David Dian Zhang
Centre for Climate and Environmental Changes, School of Geographical Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Fengwen Liu
Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environment Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
Yifu Cui
College of Tourism, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou 362021, China
Guoqiang Li
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Zhilin Shi
Institute of Dunhuang Studies, School of History & Culture, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000, China
Fahu Chen
Group of Alpine Paleoecology and Human Adaptation (ALPHA), State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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Cited
19 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Stable Isotopic Evidence for Human and Animal Diets From the Late Neolithic to the Ming Dynasty in the Middle-Lower Reaches of the Hulu River Valley, NW China J. Dong et al. 10.3389/fevo.2022.905371
- Radiocarbon chronology of sediments with implications for climatic events in Lop Nur, NW China Y. Chui et al. 10.1016/j.jseaes.2024.106024
- Environmental and human history in the hyper-arid eastern Tarim Basin (Lop Nur), northwest China: A critical review for sustaining the natural and cultural landscapes K. Li et al. 10.1016/j.quaint.2024.04.001
- Temperature variations along the Silk Road over the past 2000 years: Integration and perspectives J. Chen et al. 10.1007/s11430-022-1079-5
- Time-Transgressive Onset of Holocene Climate Optimum in Arid Central Asia and Its Association with Cultural Exchanges Z. Wang et al. 10.3390/land13030356
- Vegetation dynamics in arid central Asia over the past two millennia linked to NAO variability and solar forcing S. Feng et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108134
- Diversification in Feeding Pattern of Livestock in Early Bronze Age Northwestern China M. Qiu et al. 10.3389/fevo.2022.908131
- Abrupt climate change in arid central Asia during the Holocene: A review X. Liu et al. 10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104450
- Prospects of Precipitation Based on Reconstruction over the Last 2000 Years in the Qilian Mountains L. Qi et al. 10.3390/su141710615
- Near-surface wind field characteristics of the desert-oasis transition zone in Dunhuang, China J. Pan et al. 10.1007/s40333-024-0056-5
- Favorable geopolitical conditions rather than climate promoted societal development in historical Xinjiang region, China S. Zhang & H. Wang 10.1177/03091333251337347
- An inverse relationship between moisture and grazing intensity in an arid mountain-basin system J. Zhang et al. 10.1177/03091333211060000
- Mapping the Future of Migration and Climate Change Science S. Nawyn et al. 10.1177/01979183241272470
- Timing and extent of glaciation in northern High-Mountain Asia during the Middle and Late Pleistocene W. Wang et al. 10.1016/j.earscirev.2025.105089
- Precipitation variations in arid central Asia over past 2500 years: Possible effects of climate change on development of Silk Road civilization G. Ding et al. 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2023.104142
- Millennial‐ to centennial‐scale anti‐phase relationship between the Westerlies and the East Asian summer monsoon and its cultural response along the Silk Roads after a great earthquake in southern Altay ~ 3500 cal a BP J. Fan et al. 10.1002/jqs.3468
- Increasing Spring Insolation in the Late Holocene Intensified Aeolian Activity in Dryland Asia J. Zhang et al. 10.1029/2022GL101777
- Human settlements in the Ordos Plateau since the Neolithic Age P. Wen et al. 10.1007/s11442-023-2179-6
- Asynchronicity of dietary transformation in different regions along the Bronze Age Eastern Silk Road M. Ma et al. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.111348
19 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Stable Isotopic Evidence for Human and Animal Diets From the Late Neolithic to the Ming Dynasty in the Middle-Lower Reaches of the Hulu River Valley, NW China J. Dong et al. 10.3389/fevo.2022.905371
- Radiocarbon chronology of sediments with implications for climatic events in Lop Nur, NW China Y. Chui et al. 10.1016/j.jseaes.2024.106024
- Environmental and human history in the hyper-arid eastern Tarim Basin (Lop Nur), northwest China: A critical review for sustaining the natural and cultural landscapes K. Li et al. 10.1016/j.quaint.2024.04.001
- Temperature variations along the Silk Road over the past 2000 years: Integration and perspectives J. Chen et al. 10.1007/s11430-022-1079-5
- Time-Transgressive Onset of Holocene Climate Optimum in Arid Central Asia and Its Association with Cultural Exchanges Z. Wang et al. 10.3390/land13030356
- Vegetation dynamics in arid central Asia over the past two millennia linked to NAO variability and solar forcing S. Feng et al. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108134
- Diversification in Feeding Pattern of Livestock in Early Bronze Age Northwestern China M. Qiu et al. 10.3389/fevo.2022.908131
- Abrupt climate change in arid central Asia during the Holocene: A review X. Liu et al. 10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104450
- Prospects of Precipitation Based on Reconstruction over the Last 2000 Years in the Qilian Mountains L. Qi et al. 10.3390/su141710615
- Near-surface wind field characteristics of the desert-oasis transition zone in Dunhuang, China J. Pan et al. 10.1007/s40333-024-0056-5
- Favorable geopolitical conditions rather than climate promoted societal development in historical Xinjiang region, China S. Zhang & H. Wang 10.1177/03091333251337347
- An inverse relationship between moisture and grazing intensity in an arid mountain-basin system J. Zhang et al. 10.1177/03091333211060000
- Mapping the Future of Migration and Climate Change Science S. Nawyn et al. 10.1177/01979183241272470
- Timing and extent of glaciation in northern High-Mountain Asia during the Middle and Late Pleistocene W. Wang et al. 10.1016/j.earscirev.2025.105089
- Precipitation variations in arid central Asia over past 2500 years: Possible effects of climate change on development of Silk Road civilization G. Ding et al. 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2023.104142
- Millennial‐ to centennial‐scale anti‐phase relationship between the Westerlies and the East Asian summer monsoon and its cultural response along the Silk Roads after a great earthquake in southern Altay ~ 3500 cal a BP J. Fan et al. 10.1002/jqs.3468
- Increasing Spring Insolation in the Late Holocene Intensified Aeolian Activity in Dryland Asia J. Zhang et al. 10.1029/2022GL101777
- Human settlements in the Ordos Plateau since the Neolithic Age P. Wen et al. 10.1007/s11442-023-2179-6
- Asynchronicity of dietary transformation in different regions along the Bronze Age Eastern Silk Road M. Ma et al. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.111348
Latest update: 08 May 2025
Short summary
A compilation of the results of absolute dating and high-resolution paleoclimatic records from the Xishawo site in the Dunhuang area and historical archives reveals that two desertification events occurred at ~ 800–600 BCE and ~ 1450 CE. The later desertification event was consistent with the immediate fall in tribute trade that occurred in ~ 1450 CE, which indicates that climate change played a potentially important role in explaining the decline of the Ancient Silk Road trade.
A compilation of the results of absolute dating and high-resolution paleoclimatic records from...
