Zhidanyuan sluice of Yuan-dynasty, Shanghai area of Yangtze delta: Discussion of its abandonment

doi:10.1007/s11707-010-0121-6

Front Earth Sci Chin

2010, Vol. 4

Issue (4) : 386-392 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-010-0121-6

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Zhidanyuan sluice of Yuan-dynasty, Shanghai area of Yangtze delta: Discussion of its abandonment

Xin WANG¹, Zhanghua WANG², Zhongyuan CHEN²(

), Jiying HE³, Jian SONG³

1. Department of Geography, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; 2. State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; 3. Institute of Archaeology, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai 200003, China

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Abstract

The present study examines the rise and fall of the sluice of the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368 AD) unearthed in Zhidanyuan, Shanghai, by means of radiocarbon-dated sediment profiles, sedimentary facies indices and the historical literatures. Magnetic fabric parameters of sediment profiles help reconstruct the tidal creek setting at the sluice site. Our records evidence a fluvially-dominated hydrodynamic setting before sluice construction, but a saltwater intruded setting in the later stage. Magnetic fabric shows a stable flow direction in the upstream of the sluice, implying the fluvial deposition, while scattering flow directions downstream, suggesting interactions between the river flow and tidal currents. It is concluded that the sluice construction was primarily aimed at preventing saltwater intrusion from the Yangtze River mouth, but its operation did not fully fit the high sediment siltation in the channel that occurred after the sluice construction. This weakens significantly the role of sluice operation, leading to its abandonment eventually.

Keywords geoarchaeology Yuan-dynasty sluice of Zhidanyuan Palaeo-Wusong River sedimentary environment

Corresponding Author(s): CHEN Zhongyuan,Email:zychen@geo.ecnu.edu.cn

Issue Date: 05 December 2010

Cite this article:

Xin WANG,Zhongyuan CHEN,Jiying HE, et al. Zhidanyuan sluice of Yuan-dynasty, Shanghai area of Yangtze delta: Discussion of its abandonment[J]. Front Earth Sci Chin, 2010, 4(4): 386-392.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-010-0121-6
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y2010/V4/I4/386

Fig.1 Geographic site of the Zhidanyuan sluice (Dash line representing the Zhaopu creek and palaeo-Wusong river. Inset I–Yangtze delta plain; II–burial depth of sluice under mean sea level (elevation based on Wu-Song datum plane); III–sites of trench profiles (A, B, C, G, F). A–sediments after sluice abandonment; B–sediments before sluice construction. Note that the sediment depth of A and B can be laterally continuous; C and F–downstream sediments after sluice construction; G–upstream sediments after sluice construction)

Tab.1 AMS-C dates of profile G

Fig.2 Sediment profiles of A+ B (I), F (II), and G (III) (Profile C was not measured for magnetic fabric, so it is not shown in the figure)

Fig.3 Simulated paleo-flow current directions for sediment profiles A, B, F, and G

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