| Abstract: |
This study integrates paleo-shoreline reconstruction with landscape connectivity modeling to investigate the formation and dispersal of early Neolithic settlements in the Ancient Pearl River Estuary Area (APREA). By reconstructing coastal topography around 6 ka BP and establishing a time-cost equivalence model for land and maritime travel, we apply Omniscape and Circuitscape simulations to evaluate mobility patterns during the Painted Pottery Culture Period (PPCP, 6.5–5 ka BP) and the Geometry Incised Pottery Period (GIPP, 5–3.3 ka BP). The results indicate that the sampled current values for PPCP sites were close to random expectations, suggesting that settlement selection during this period was not centered on high-connectivity zones. In contrast, GIPP sites show significant clustering within high-connectivity areas, reflecting the establishment of exchange networks and more deliberate settlement-planning strategies. These findings not only extend the chronological applicability of landscape connectivity modeling, but also provide new insights into the formation and dispersal dynamics of maritime exchange networks during the middle–late Neolithic of coastal Southeast Asia.
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