Mountainous cultural landscapes, characterized by fragmented heritage sites, present significant challenges for integrated conservation and regional planning. Taking the Mount Song Culture Circle in Dengfeng City, China—a World Heritage site embodying the core of Chinese ritual civilization—as a case study, this study proposes an adaptive minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) gravity model to optimize heritage corridor resilience against spatial fragmentation and development imbalances. Based on a spatial database of 294 cultural relic units, the adaptive model introduces a dynamic cultural value weight (CVIndex = 0.82) and a time decay function (λ = 0.05) to capture the interplay between cultural significance and ecological constraints—features absent in traditional static approaches. The model identifies three optimized heritage corridor networks—”Seeking Wisdom in the Mountains”, “Searching for Culture in the Landscape”, and “Exploring the City Along the River.” Compared with a traditional static MCR model (αindex = 0.42; core area node density = 0.74 nodes/km²), the adaptive approach improves network connectivity by 37% (α-index = 0.58, p < 0.01) and increases core area heritage node density to 1.12/km². Space syntax analysis further confirms that optimized network integration values strongly correlate with cultural dissemination efficiency (R² = 0.78, p < 0.01, n = 48). This research offers a methodological innovation for resilient conservation of complex cultural landscapes in World Heritage contexts.

This study systematically investigates settlement sites that record living patterns of ancient humans, aiming to reveal the interactive mechanisms of human–environment relationships. The core issues of landscape archeology research are the surface spatial structure, human spatial cognition, and social practice activities. This article takes the Han Dynasty settlement site in Sanyangzhuang, Neihuang County, Anyang City, Henan Province, as a typical case. It comprehensively uses ArcGIS 10.8 spatial analysis and remote sensing image interpretation techniques to construct spatial distribution models of elevation, slope, and aspect in the study area, and analyzes the process of the Yellow River’s ancient course changes. A regional historical geographic information system was constructed by integrating multiple data sources, including archeological excavation reports, excavated artifacts, and historical documents. At the same time, the sequences of temperature and dry–wet index changes in the study area during the Qin and Han dynasties were quantitatively reconstructed, and a climate evolution map for this period was created based on ancient climate proxy indicators. Drawing on three dimensions of settlement morphology, architectural spatial organization, and agricultural technology systems, this paper provides a deep analysis of the site’s spatial cognitive logic and the ecological wisdom it embodies. The results show the following: (1) The Sanyangzhuang Han Dynasty settlement site reflects the efficient utilization strategy and environmental adaptation mechanism of ancient settlements for land resources, presenting typical scattered characteristics. Its formation mechanism is closely related to the evolution of social systems in the Western Han Dynasty. (2) In terms of site selection, settlements consider practicality and ceremony, which can not only meet basic living needs, but also divide internal functional zones based on the meaning implied by the orientation of the constellations. (3) The widespread use of iron farming tools has promoted the innovation of cultivation techniques, and the implementation of the substitution method has formed an ecological regulation system to cope with seasonal climate change while ensuring agricultural yield. The above results comprehensively reflect three types of ecological wisdom: “ecological adaptation wisdom of integrating homestead and farmland”, “spatial cognitive wisdom of analogy, heaven, law, and earth”, and “agricultural technology wisdom adapted to the times”. This study not only deepens our understanding of the cultural value of the Han Dynasty settlement site in Sanyangzhuang, but also provides a new theoretical perspective, an important paradigm reference, and a methodological reference for the study of ancient settlement ecological wisdom.

The preservation and development of traditional villages are often affected by careless and scattered methods. The conservation paradigm has shifted from focusing on individual villages to regional clusters. This paper examines 275 national-level traditional villages in Henan Province, China, and develops an integrated identification–evaluation–strategy framework. First, cluster identification was performed using the three-dimensional indicator system that combined spatial, historical, cultural, and distinctive resources. This study identifies 16 traditional village clusters using K-means clustering and presents a unified spatial structure referred to as “one pole, three cores, four belts, and multiple points.” Based on cluster identification, a dual-dimensional evaluation system, including internal and external elements, was established to assess the development potential of the identified clusters. The external factors, including ecological resources, humanistic resources, and supporting conditions, were evaluated using a suitability evaluation. Simultaneously, the internal factors, i.e., value potential, spatial potential, and functional potential, were evaluated through the Cloud Model. Lastly, according to the evaluation results and unique resource analysis, the clusters were classified into five development typologies, with a corresponding strategy suggested for each. The integrated framework provides a replicable approach for clustered conservation and revitalization of traditional villages, offering scientific support for regionally integrated heritage management and sustainable rural development.