The invention discloses an ancient 
landform recovery method based on a source-sink 
system. The ancient 
landform recovery method comprises the steps that: S1, selecting a to-be-recovered region, and determining a geological history period; S2, dividing source-sink units of a geological history period on the basis of the residual 
landform; S3, based on a 
structural evolution rule of the to-be-recovered region, determining a differential settlement rule and a deposition 
reference surface, and performing differential settlement correction; S4, defining the ranges of a 
denudation region, an over-stripping region and an over-covering region based on the 
unconformity interface characteristics of the to-be-recovered region and the 
seismic facies difference of different lithologies, and performingdenudation amount 
recovery on the 
denudation region and the over-stripping region based on the principle of conservation of substances of the source-sink 
system; and S5, superposing images obtained inthe step S3 and the step S4 to complete recovery of the ancient landform framework. According to the ancient landform 
recovery method, the 
denudation region material source and the total material amount are recovered more visually and scientifically, so that ancient landform and prototype basins in the deposition period are established, and guidance is provided for research on denudation and deposition region 
material distribution, landform evolution, reservoir characteristics, reservoir body distribution and the like.