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Paleofire indicated by triterpenes and charcoal
in a culture bed in eastern Kunlun Mountain, Northwest China |
| Dan JIAO1,Huan YANG1,Xinjun WANG1,Shucheng XIE2,Shuyuan XIANG3, |
| 1.State Key Laboratory
of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of
Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; 2.State Key Laboratory
of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of
Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China；Key Laboratory of Biogeology
and Environmental Geology of Ministry of Education, China University
of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; 3.Faculty of Earth Science,
China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; |
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Abstract A series of biomarkers were analyzed in the 4000 a B.P. loess sediments in Balong, Dulan County at the north of the eastern Kunlun Mountain in Northwest China using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Olean-2,13(18)-ene, olean-2,12-ene, urs-2,12-ene and 5a14a17a20R-stigmasterane identified in an ancient culture bed were observed in association with charcoal grains, believed to be the products of paleofire due to the anthropogenic activity in Qijia culture. These triterpenes were proposed to be derived from dehydration of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid present in angiosperms, and 5a14 a17a20R-stigmasterane was derived from stenols; they both were formed during incomplete combustion. The n-alkane distributions show a shift in the dominant carbon from C27 or C29 to C31, indicative of the abrupt change in paleovegetation from woody to herbaceous plants driven by the changing paleoclimate at 4000 a B.P. after the Holocene Optimum. Coincidently, the Qjijia agriculture culture began to collapse during the 200-year cooling and dryness, and was replaced by nomadism in the mountainous area. The paleofire identified is such a record as to document the change of ancient culture induced by paleoclimate change.
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| Keywords
loess sediment
charcoal
lipid
triterpenes
paleofire
Kunlun Mountain
Qijia culture
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Issue Date: 05 December 2009
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