早在5万年前,哈密盆地就有中国北方原始人的生活痕迹,如哈密七角井、三道岭文化遗址。到公元前14世纪末和13世纪,哈密五堡、四堡等地的塞人已过着定居生活。进入汉代,特别是东汉时期,伊吾卢地成为哈密有文字史料记载的第一块绿洲。唐代设置伊州,下辖伊吾、纳职、柔远3县,绿洲分布范围明显扩大。元代在哈密力(哈密)屯垦,明代设哈密卫,绿洲分布范围有所扩大。至清代,哈密绿洲分布范围迅速扩大。民国时期,坎儿井的大量开凿,使哈密绿洲在老绿洲的基础上进一步扩大。新中国成立后,开辟了大片新绿洲。哈密绿洲的地理分布经历了从冲积-洪积细土平原泉水易岀露带到修渠和开凿坎儿井引沟水、泉水或地下水灌溉地和低山带,再到冲积-洪积砾质平原和干燥剥蚀风蚀平原的过程。这一结果是在自然因素和人文因素的双重影响下形成的,清代以前自然因素占主导地位,清至民国时期人文因素开始发挥重要作用,新中国成立后,人文因素最终占据主导地位。
Fifty thousand years ago, the primitive people of north China had lived in the Hami Basin, which could be proved by the Hami Qijiaojing and Sandaoling sites of ancient cultural remains. Saka had settled in Hami Sibao and Wubao in the late 14th and 13th centuries BC. Yiwulu became as the first oasis in the Hami region since the time with written historical records in Eastern Han Dynasty. Yi State that consisted of Yiwu, Nazhi, Rouyuan counties was founded in Tang Dynasty, the oases in Hami were significantly enlarged. In the Yuan Dynasty, the stationed troops reclaimed wasteland in Hami. Hami Garrison was larged !ounded in Ming Dynasty, and the oases were en- in Qing Dynasty. Karezs, the special irrigation systems, were constructed in the oases in the Republic of China, on which the oases were further expanded on the basis of old ones. After the founding of new China, a lot of new oases were opened up. Geographically, the oases in Hami were developed from the fluvial-pluvial fine-soil plains where springs flew out to the areas and low-hill re- gions irrigated by Karezs, spring water or rgroundwater, and then to the fluvial-pluvial gravel plains and wind-ero- ded plains. Such results were formed under the effects of both natural and human factors. Natural factors were dom- inant before Qing Dynasty. Human factors played an important role from Qing Dynasty to the republic of China. Human factors were dominant after the founding of new China.