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<p>While climate change impacts on ancient societies are well-documented, their adaptation mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study examines ancient Chinese architecture, specifically focusing on the abrupt decline in the use of projecting arms in bracket sets during the cold period from the 3rd to 6th centuries—a phenomenon known as the “Six Dynasties Bracket Mystery” —to explore how architectural forms responded to climatic shifts. Based on an analysis of approximately 250 cases of quasi-architectural evidence, we identify a five-stage variation in the presence ratio of projecting arms over approximately 700 years, beginning in the early 1st century. By integrating this quantitative variation with high-resolution paleoclimate reconstructions and experimental analysis, this study demonstrates that climate change, particularly the abrupt cooling events during the 3rd–6th centuries, altered the functional requirements of building eaves, leading to the decline of projecting arms. Our study provides a reasonable explanation for the longstanding puzzle concerning bracket sets in ancient Chinese architectural research, emphasizing environmental adaptation rather than aesthetic or technological considerations. It also highlights architectural adaptation as a material expression of human responses to climate change, offering insights into the interplay between climate, socio-historical context, and architecture in ancient China.</p>

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Climate change impacts on the architectural adaptation in ancient China during the 3rd–6th centuries

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年6月14日

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  • Siyang Li,
  • Lejun He,
  • Quansheng Ge

摘要

While climate change impacts on ancient societies are well-documented, their adaptation mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study examines ancient Chinese architecture, specifically focusing on the abrupt decline in the use of projecting arms in bracket sets during the cold period from the 3rd to 6th centuries—a phenomenon known as the “Six Dynasties Bracket Mystery” —to explore how architectural forms responded to climatic shifts. Based on an analysis of approximately 250 cases of quasi-architectural evidence, we identify a five-stage variation in the presence ratio of projecting arms over approximately 700 years, beginning in the early 1st century. By integrating this quantitative variation with high-resolution paleoclimate reconstructions and experimental analysis, this study demonstrates that climate change, particularly the abrupt cooling events during the 3rd–6th centuries, altered the functional requirements of building eaves, leading to the decline of projecting arms. Our study provides a reasonable explanation for the longstanding puzzle concerning bracket sets in ancient Chinese architectural research, emphasizing environmental adaptation rather than aesthetic or technological considerations. It also highlights architectural adaptation as a material expression of human responses to climate change, offering insights into the interplay between climate, socio-historical context, and architecture in ancient China.