The Research on Temporal–Spatial Distribution and Morphological Characteristics of Ancient Settlements in the Songhua River Basin
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sustainability Article The Research on Temporal–Spatial Distribution and Morphological Characteristics of Ancient Settlements in the Songhua River Basin Meng Zhu 1,2, Jianfei Dong 2,* and Yingzhi Gao 2,* 1 School of architecture, Harbin institute of technology, Harbin 150001, China; [email protected] 2 Heilongjiang Cold Region Architectural Science Key Laboratory, Harbin 150006, China * Correspondence: [email protected] (M.Z.); [email protected] (Y.G.) Received: 4 January 2019; Accepted: 5 February 2019; Published: 12 February 2019 Abstract: Settlements have a high cultural and historical value in regions as indicators of human habitation and culture. The Songhua River Basin is on the edge of a traditional cultural center, which has scattered ecological elements, a special culture, and historical faults. Because of the superposition of traces of different ethnic activities in different periods, the Songhua River has a special and diversified cultural foundation and heritage, which is of high research value. However, the ancient settlements in this region have not been given sufficient attention and as a result it is difficult to achieve a complete and systematic study. In order to promote the cultural value of this historical region and the development of a regional and cultural industry, this paper seeks to study the ancient settlements of Songhua River Basin. With the help of GIS technology, archeological excavations, and the concept of ethnic pedigree in ethnology, this study analyzes the temporal–spatial distribution and morphological characteristics of ancient settlements in the Songhua River Basin, in order to determine how the heritage value of these settlements can be sustainably protected. Keywords: ancient settlements; Songhua River Basin; temporal–spatial distribution; morphological characteristics 1. Introduction The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were proposed at the United Nations Sustainable Development summit held in New York in 2015. The goals aim to solve the developmental problems in the three dimensions of society, economy and environment and to turn to the path of sustainable development, among which the Sustainable Cities and Communities goal is very important for regional development. Under the impact of modern civilization, the regional protection of cultural heritage has been given more attention by various countries. The excavation of 19 cultural geographic spaces and the construction of cultural ecological protection areas have been carried out in different degrees. Therefore, the study on the development of settlements in the region is of great significance for the sustainable development of the region [1–3]. This topic has been deeply considered in the planning of sustainable development and the traditional culture of cultural heritage conservation Since 19 Century [2,4]. In Europe, the United States, and other countries, sustainable development is mainly manifested through the establishment of ecological museums, cultural routes and cultural heritage areas, In China, the research on ancient settlements is mostly concentrated in the area of traditional architectural culture, while the research on settlements in marginal areas still needs to be improved. In particular, research on the temporal–spatial distribution and morphological characteristics of ancient settlements in the Songhua River Basin is still an unexplored area in the study of architectural history. Northeast China has always been a special geographical location in Chinese history, and the ancient nations of northeast China have played a very important role in the formation and development Sustainability 2019, 11, 932; doi:10.3390/su11030932 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2019, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 13 traditional architectural culture, while the research on settlements in marginal areas still needs to be improved. In particular, research on the temporal–spatial distribution and morphological characteristics of ancient settlements in the Songhua River Basin is still an unexplored area in the study of architectural history. Northeast China has always been a special geographical location in Chinese history, and the Sustainability 2019, 11, 932 2 of 12 ancient nations of northeast China have played a very important role in the formation and development of Chinese culture. From a macro perspective, the history and culture of the Songhua ofRiver Chinese Basin, culture. and even From the aAumer macro Basin, perspective, are of the the same history value and as culture the Yangtze of the SonghuaRiver and River the Yellow Basin, andRiver, even which the are Aumer considered Basin, arethe ofcradles the same of Chinese value ascivilization the Yangtze [5,6]. River The and long-term the Yellow contact, River, collision, which areand consideredfusion between the cradles the minority of Chinese system civilization and the [Hu5,6axia]. The Family long-term can be contact, traced collision, back to the and Shang– fusion betweenZhou period. the minority Later, the system Xianbei and (鲜卑 the), Huaxia Khitan Family(契丹), Nuzhen can be traced (女真), back Mongolian to the Shang–Zhou (蒙古族), Manchu period. ( Later,满族), theand Xianbei other (ethnic鲜Q), groups Khitan (becameQ9), Nuzhen the dominant (s真), Mongolian groups in (the蒙古 northÏ), Manchu and even (á Ïoccupied), and other the ethniccentralgroups plains, becamewhich promoted the dominant the groupsintegration in the of north the north andeven and occupiedthe souththe many central times plains, in Chinese which promotedhistory, and the even integration changed of the the north pattern and theof the south whol manye east times Asia in Chineseregion history,[7]. The and research even changed on the thesettlements pattern ofin thenortheast whole China east Asia can region be traced [7]. back The researchto the colonization on the settlements study led in by northeast Russia and China Japan can bein the traced middle back of to the the last colonization century. At study present, led byrepresentative Russia and settlements Japan in the in middle the Songhua of the lastRiver century. Basin Athave present, been excavated, representative such settlementsas the Fenglin in the(凤林 Songhua) ancient River city in Basin the Sanjiang have been Plain excavated, from the such Han–Wei as the Fenglinperiod and (凤 林the) ancientcapital city inof thethe SanjiangBohai States Plain during from thethe Han–WeiTang Dynasty period [8– and10]. theHowever, capital citystudies of the of Bohaiancient States settlements during thein the Tang Songhua Dynasty River [8–10 ].Basin However, are based studies on of archaeology, ancient settlements and therefore in the Songhua mostly Riverdescriptive Basin areand based qualitative. on archaeology, Furthermore, and thereforethe meth mostlyods used descriptive are only andbased qualitative. on discovery Furthermore, records, thehistorical methods data, used and are onlyresearch based from on discoverythe site; records,there is historicalno in-depth data, study and research on the from temporal–spatial the site; there isdistribution no in-depth and study morphological on the temporal–spatial characteristics distributionof the settlement. and morphologicalThe object of this characteristics study is the ancient of the settlement.settlements Thein the object Songhua of this River study Basin is the (Figure ancient 1). settlementsLearned from in thethe Songhuawest since River the 19 Basin century (Figure in the1). Learnedtraditional from culture the west of cultural since the heritage 19 century protection in the traditionalmethods, and culture with of the cultural help of heritage GIS (Geographic protection methods,Information and System with the) spatial help of analysis GIS (Geographic technology, Information we analyzed System) the temporal–spatial spatial analysis distribution technology, and we analyzedmorphological the temporal–spatial characteristics of distribution ancient settlements and morphological in the Songhua characteristics River Basin, of ancient and accuracy settlements the inancient the Songhua cultural Riverheritage Basin, sites. and This accuracy is the basis the ancient for the culturalplanning heritage of cultural sites. and This ecological is the basis protection for the planningareas, so as of to cultural put forward and ecological planning protection content from areas, the so perspective as to put forward of inheritance planning and content development from the in perspectivethe future. This of inheritance will help andto realize development the sustai in thenable future. development This will demands help to realize of regional the sustainable heritage developmentprotection, urban demands construction of regional, and heritage economic protection, development. urbanconstruction, and economic development. Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the Songhua River Basin. Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the Songhua River Basin. 2. Methods The research methods of ancient settlements are no longer based on a single subject knowledge, but permeate each other. Nowadays, with the development of related disciplines, the emergence of new technologies [11] such as Hadoop, and GIS, there are new technical means for the research and analysis of ancient settlement sites. Furthermore, interdisciplinary research methods from the perspectives of archaeology [12], cultural geography [13], and ethnic culturology [14] provide new ideas and SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability 2019 20192019 2019, 11,, , 11 ,11, 11x,, , x FOR,xx x FOR FORFOR