Human settlements in the Ordos Plateau since the Neolithic Age

Settlements are excellent spatiotemporal indicators for studying historical human activities and environmental change. This paper discusses the spatial and temporal changes of sites on the Ordos Plateau in China since the Neolithic Age, based on an analysis of spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of the human settlements. The frequency of human settlements on the Ordos Plateau presented a phased fluctuation process, and the sizes were mainly small and medium. The spatial distribution of human settlements was fractal, and the D value of the aggregation dimension was generally small, indicating that the spatial distribution of the sites was agglomerated. Affected by the desert, the sites were mainly distributed in the south and east of the Ordos Plateau. The spatiotemporal distribution pattern of human settlements in the Ordos Plateau resulted from the combined action of natural and human factors, especially climate change. Moreover, local livelihood patterns significantly affected the frequency of human settlements. The number of human settlements in the farming period was large, and the distribution was concentrated. In contrast, the number of sites in the nomadic period was small and scattered. The central government’s policies and the conflicts between farming and nomadic groups further affected the spatiotemporal distribution of human settlements. This study may contribute to a better understanding of historical environmental change and human-land relationships in the Ordos Plateau.