Abstract: Understanding the temporal and spatial distribution of organic carbon burial in shallow lake sediments and the corresponding influencing factors is of great significance for an improved understanding of the process of carbon burial and a correct evaluation of the role in the regional/global carbon cycle. A study was conducted in this paper based on the sediment age sequence established by the 210Pbex-239+240Pu composite dating method. The sediment core samples were collected in the east and west parts of Lake Chaohu. The total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), the ratio of C/N, normal trace elements and grain size in sediments were analyzed. The results showed that the sedimentation rate and the organic carbon burial rate in Lake Chaohu ranged from 0.19~0.90 g cm-2 a-1 and 16.6 ~ 71.2 gC m-2 a-1, respectively. They indicated a trend of first decreasing and then increasing in the past 70 years. The rates were higher in the eastern lake than those in the western lake. Organic carbon in sediments in both east and west parts of Lake Chaohu was mainly endogenous in the past 70 years. The faster organic carbon burial rate in the eastern lake was mainly attributed to the faster sediment deposition rate and the deeper water body, which hindered the decomposition and mineralization of organic carbon in the sediments. While in the western lake, the disturbance of lake bottom mud caused by intense human activities and the nature of algal organic matter itself promoted the degradation and mineralization of organic carbon during sedimentation and burial, which affected the effective burial of organic carbon in the sediments. In addition, factors of climate change and human activities including the warming of the basin, the rapid economic development, the increase of population as well as the increase of agricultural fertilizer application had positive effects on the organic carbon burial in Lake Chaohu during the past 70 years.