A large number of broken stones were unearthed from the ash layer dating 11e12 ka at Shuidonggou ... more A large number of broken stones were unearthed from the ash layer dating 11e12 ka at Shuidonggou Locality 12 (SDG 12) during archaeological excavations in 2007. Morphological and lithological analysis of these stones indicated that they were selected by humans, heated, used, and then crushed. Simulation experiments using the same type of rock demonstrated that these stones ruptured after being heated at high temperatures and immersed in water, suggesting that they were boiling stones used for boiling water and cooking liquid foods. The testing and analysis of the groundwater and surface water quality in the area revealed that the Escherichia coli level was extremely high, and that the water was not drinkable before boiling to eliminate the hazard. Ecological and environmental data indicated that various plants for human consumption had grown in that location since the late Upper Pleistocene and that certain edible seeds had to be cooked before being eaten. The fire cracked rock is the first recognized and demonstrated archaeological evidence of stone boiling in China, a kind of complex and indirect fire usage by prehistoric humans, which has significant implications in exploring the adaptation strategy of the occupants of the site, the development of human fire-usage history, as well as the origin or source of Amerindian "stone boilers".
Early hominins moved out of Africa and arrived in China sometime after 1.8 Ma. Using Majuangou, N... more Early hominins moved out of Africa and arrived in China sometime after 1.8 Ma. Using Majuangou, North China (1.71-1.66 Ma) and Yuanmou, South China (1.7 Ma) as the two tentative reference points for early hominin activity, we argue that similar paleoanthropological evidence should be present between these two localities in Central-East (CE) China. In particular, since the floral and faunal data strongly indicate that the region served as a continuous migration corridor throughout the Plio-Pleistocene, CE China should contain a diversity of evidence of early hominin activity. In this paper, we review the current state of Early and Middle Pleistocene paleoanthropological evidence in CE China. We note that there are questions/problems with some of the current evidence or interpretations of this evidence. However, the dataset forms a solid foundation from which to develop more detailed research programs and hypotheses to test. The key to investigating this region more thoroughly is systematic field and laboratory research conducted by a multidisciplinary team of scientists.
The criteria to define the Middle Paleolithic in East Asia have traditionally been presence/ abse... more The criteria to define the Middle Paleolithic in East Asia have traditionally been presence/ absence of archaic Homo sapiens fossils, biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, the Middle-Late Pleistocene transition, and lithic technology. In this paper, we examine the use of the Middle-Late Pleistocene shift as a valid criterion for characterizing the Middle Paleolithic in East Asia. Our review indicates that the most representative ''Middle Paleolithic'' sites in China (Zhoukoudian Locality 15, Dingcun, Xujiayao, Dali) all have chronometric ages that bracket the Middle-Late Pleistocene transition. However, the age range for these sites is extremely wide, extending from the middle Middle Pleistocene (c. 500 ka) to the middle Late Pleistocene (75 ka). This very large chronometric span suggests that the Middle-Late Pleistocene transition (140-100 ka) is of little use for defining a distinct Middle Paleolithic in East Asia. Other evidence to support a distinct East Asian Middle Paleolithic is also not strong, particularly distinct changes in lithic technology. Accordingly, we argue that an ''Early'' Paleolithic, representing the originally designated Lower and Middle Paleolithic sites, is more applicable to the uniqueness of the East Asian archaeological record.
A review of recently published temporal data from Shuidonggou Locality 1 indicates that a 40–43 c... more A review of recently published temporal data from Shuidonggou Locality 1 indicates that a 40–43 cal ka date for the inception of Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) blade-oriented technologies in East Asia is warranted. Comparison of the dates from Shuidonggou to other Asian IUP dates in Korea, Siberia, and Mongolia supports this assertion, indicating that the initial appearance of the IUP in East Asia generally corresponds in time to the fluorescence of the IUP in eastern Europe and western Asia. This conclusion preliminarily suggests that either a version of the IUP originated independently in East Asia just prior to 40 cal ka, or more likely, that an early, initial diffusion of the IUP into East Asia occurred ∼41 cal ka, a hypothesis consistent with current estimates for the evolution or arrival of modern humans in the region.
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright
The presence and age of large blade technology at the Shuidonggou site is a pivotal issue in disc... more The presence and age of large blade technology at the Shuidonggou site is a pivotal issue in discussions of the spread of blade technology in East Eurasia. Madsen and colleagues' influential work uses the dates (24,000e29,000 rcy BP [radiocarbon years before present]) they obtained from Shuidonggou Locality 2 to estimate the age of blade technology in this region, and suggested a very late arrival of Levallois-like blade technology from the north. This paper reexamines the evidence for the age of blade technology at Shuidonggou by comparing the lithic assemblages from the new excavations at Locality 2 with those from Locality 1. Several important points are demonstrated: (1) the lithic industry of cultural layers 1 through 4 at Locality 2 is not based on large blades, so reported dates from these layers cannot be an indicator of the age of large blade technology; (2) comparing Locality 1 and 2, the age of large blade technology appears to be around 34,000e38,000 calendar years BP (before present) in this region, suggesting a relatively rapid technology dispersal from the west and/or north; (3) the so-called 'Shuidonggou lower cultural layer' at Locality 1 includes both large blade and simple flake industries.
The initial Late Paleolithic, said to appear between 40 and 30 kya in eastern Asia, is defined by... more The initial Late Paleolithic, said to appear between 40 and 30 kya in eastern Asia, is defined by the appearance of many innovations. These archaeological indicators include the appearance of more refined stone tool making techniques (e.g., include the appearance of blade and microblade technology), complex hearth construction, use of pigments and personal ornamentation, as well as worked faunal implements such as bone and antler tools. We report here new findings from a multidisciplinary research project conducted at the Shuidonggou (Choei-tong-keou) site complex in northern China, a series of localities that date from the initial Late Paleolithic to the Neolithic. Six new localities (SDG7e12) were discovered and five localities [SDG2 (previously identified) and SDG7e9 and 12] were excavated, yielding more than 50,000 stone artifacts, fauna, ostrich eggshell beads, and hearths. Dating results suggest that human occupation of the Shuidonggou area occurred during the Late Pleistocene to Middle Holocene (w32,000e6000 BP). Some sites are characterized by small, irregular flakes, casually retouched tools [modified or informally retouched tools (i.e., non-standardized tools with sporadic retouch which was not well controlled)], and small numbers of blades or no blades. Others lithic assemblages are dominated by blades and microblades. At two sites, higher quality or exotic raw materials were exploited, but at the majority of sites locally-available river cobbles were used. In addition to blades, microblades and hearths, more than 80 finely-perforated and polished ostrich eggshell beads, mostly colored with red ochre, were recovered from three sites. Several worked bone needles and an awl were also uncovered from the youngest site, SDG12, in deposits dating to c. 13,000 cal BP. The implications for the initial appearance of the Late Paleolithic in China and movement of modern human populations into North China are discussed.
The Jingshuiwan Paleolithic site lies in the second terrace of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River and... more The Jingshuiwan Paleolithic site lies in the second terrace of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River and has a complete geomorphological section. Archaeological materials from early Late Pleistocene fluvial deposits of silt and sand are dated by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to ca. 70 ka. The stone assemblage from layer 7 includes retouched tools (118), cores (304), flakes (281), flake fragments (101), stone hammers (four) and chunks (102). Artifacts were made from lithic sources locally available from the former riverbed. The main type used was silicarenite; quartzite, hypabyssal intrusive rock, extrusive rock and volcanic breccia were also used. The principal flaking technique was direct hammer percussion without prepared striking platforms. Major blanks for tool fabrication were complete flakes (67.0%), followed by cores and incomplete flakes. Most tools were large. Chopper-chopping tools and scrapers were the dominant tool types, followed by points and notches. Modified tools were mostly retouched unifacially on the surface of blanks by direct hammer percussion. Jingshuiwan provides evidence that South China was occupied during MIS 4. Because of the similarity of the stone tool assemblage with earlier ones associated with Homo erectus, it may also provide indirect evidence that H. erectus persisted into the early Late Pleistocene.
Archeological research over the past several years has started to provide evidence relevant to un... more Archeological research over the past several years has started to provide evidence relevant to understanding both the timing of and processes responsible for human colonization of the Tibetan Plateau. This harsh, high-elevation environment is
Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia, 2012
The paper reports the results of an analysis of surface collections of artifacts made at the Luot... more The paper reports the results of an analysis of surface collections of artifacts made at the Luotuoshi site in Dzungaria, Xinjiang, northwest China. The site was discovered in 2004 by a joint Chinese-Russian-American archaeological expedition. A techno-typological analysis of the artifacts was carried out noting aeolian abrasion of the artifacts' surfaces. This technocomplex is quite homogenous and is characterized by a combination of Levallois-like and subprismatic blade-based reduction techniques. Analogs of the Luotuoshi assemblage have been identi ed within the lithic industries of the Altai, the Orkhon-1 and Tolbor-4 sites in Mongolia, and at Shuidonggou in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China, all of which have been attributed to the Early Upper Paleolithic. Luotuoshi is the rst site associated with the blade-based Early Upper Paleolithic discovered in northwest China and its particular features make it possible to correlate this technocomplex with those from southern Siberia and northern Central Asia.
ABSTRACT Shuidonggou Locality 1 (SDG1) contains one of the most important early blade assemblages... more ABSTRACT Shuidonggou Locality 1 (SDG1) contains one of the most important early blade assemblages in East Asia, and has been excavated and studied in detail since its discovery in 1923. However, most studies focus on typology and qualitative analysis along with contextual problems such as chronology and stratigraphy. This article outlines current debates on its chronology and stratigraphy, and supports a conservative wide temporal range for the SDG1 lower cultural layer of 40,000–25,000 BP. Using a combined chaîne opératoire and attribute analytical approach, we provide a quantitative technological analysis of the SDG1 lithic assemblage. Our analysis indicates that blade production was applied using two different strategies. (1) The main reduction sequence produced standard blades, elongated flakes and bladelets from broad-faced cores, and mostly from bidirectional knapping. On some broad-faced cores, the flaking surface expands to the narrow facets. In this case, the strategy shifts from a broad-faced to sub-prismatic core approach. (2) The second (and less common) reduction system produced blades and bladelets from prismatic and narrow-faced cores. Our results also indicate that SDG1 blade production was based exclusively on direct percussion and not on pressure or indirect percussion flaking, though marginal percussion was sometimes used. Comparing SDG1 with other Initial Upper Paleolithic and Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) in Northeast Asia, we suggest the SDG1 assemblages are typologically and technologically similar to the IUP assemblage in the Altai region of Siberia and Mongolia. Given the wide chronological range of SDG1 with some EUP technological features in SDG1 assemblage, we cannot exclude the possibility of incursion of EUP technology.
Acoustic response from lithics knapped by humans has been demonstrated to facilitate effective de... more Acoustic response from lithics knapped by humans has been demonstrated to facilitate effective detection of submerged Stone Age sites exposed on the seafloor or embedded in its sediments. Investigation of the acoustic response characteristics of knapped lithics, which appear not to be replicated in naturally cracked lithic pieces, is at the moment under investigation through laboratory experiments and Finite Element modelling of high-resolution 3D-scanned pieces. Experimental work is also being carried with chirp subbottom systems on known sites in sea areas and inland water bodies. Practical survey has already at this initial stage of development of an optimal instrument for mapping of submerged Stone Age sites, provided good results. This paper reviews the maritime archaeological perspectives this method opens for and reports on the present state of this work.
By at least 45,000 years before present, anatomically modern humans had spread across Eurasia [1-... more By at least 45,000 years before present, anatomically modern humans had spread across Eurasia [1-3], but it is not well known how diverse these early populations were and whether they contributed substantially to later people or represent early modern human expansions into Eurasia that left no surviving descendants today. Analyses of genome-wide data from several ancient individuals from Western Eurasia and Siberia have shown that some of these individuals have relationships to present-day Europeans [4, 5] while others did not contribute to present-day Eurasian populations [3, 6]. As contributions from Upper Paleolithic populations in Eastern Eurasia to present-day humans and their relationship to other early Eurasians is not clear, we generated genome-wide data from a 40,000-year-old individual from Tianyuan Cave, China, [1, 7] to study his relationship to ancient and present-day humans. We find that he is more related to present-day and ancient Asians than he is to Europeans, but ...
Two early Late Pleistocene (~105,000- to 125,000-year-old) crania from Lingjing, Xuchang, China, ... more Two early Late Pleistocene (~105,000- to 125,000-year-old) crania from Lingjing, Xuchang, China, exhibit a morphological mosaic with differences from and similarities to their western contemporaries. They share pan-Old World trends in encephalization and in supraorbital, neurocranial vault, and nuchal gracilization. They reflect eastern Eurasian ancestry in having low, sagittally flat, and inferiorly broad neurocrania. They share occipital (suprainiac and nuchal torus) and temporal labyrinthine (semicircular canal) morphology with the Neandertals. This morphological combination reflects Pleistocene human evolutionary patterns in general biology, as well as both regional continuity and interregional population dynamics.
Many archaeological sites were excavated in China, but rarely in the adjacent coastal areas. An a... more Many archaeological sites were excavated in China, but rarely in the adjacent coastal areas. An archaeological site at Huangniliang in the coastal area of Shandong Province, northern China was excavated in 2013. Abundant stone artifacts including hammers, cores, flakes, chunks, and retouched tools are found in the silty aeolian sediments. In this study, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) technique was employed to establish the chronological framework of the site. Medium-grained (45–63 μm) quartz was extracted from six sediment samples for dating. The equivalent doses obtained with the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol are shown to increase with depth. Three samples from the stone-tool containing layer yield OSL ages ranging from 54 ka to 59 ka, providing the earliest geochronological evidence for the presence of humans in the eastern coast of Shandong peninsula during the early period of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3.
More than ten thousands of bone fragments were recovered from the Lingjing site, Henan Province d... more More than ten thousands of bone fragments were recovered from the Lingjing site, Henan Province during 2005 and 2006. In this paper, through the quantification and statistical analyses of the skeletal elements of the two predominant species in this assemblage, aurochs (Bos primigenius) and horse (Equus caballus), the differential influences and weights of a variety of taphonomic agencies in the formation of the assemblage are assessed respectively. Compared to the natural agencies, hominid hunting and the subsequent disarticulation, slaughtering, and their transport of the bone elements of the prey species are the main factors accounting for the formation of the present assemblage. More importantly, this study initiatively identifies hominid’s differential treatment of the bones of aurochs and horse in the Paleolithic record of East Asia and demonstrably suggests that hominids at the site have already practiced sophisticated hunting techniques and subsistence strategies and may be q...
Ten thousands of bone fragments were recovered from the Ma’anshan Paleolithic site, of which 4358... more Ten thousands of bone fragments were recovered from the Ma’anshan Paleolithic site, of which 4358 pieces can be identified to skeletal elements or species. In this research, the bone assemblages are quantified based on elements of MNI, MNE, and MAU. Then bone surface modifications and skeletal element profiles of the bone assemblages are studied to understand shlepping behaviors and reveal the technique of disarticulating and defleshing the animals’ bodies, etc. Based on the analyses of bone assemblages and the comparative study with the ethnoarchaeological as well as experimental data, it is assumed that later hominids at the site made fuller use of the game animals than the earlier hominids. Incorporating the lines of evidence from chronological dating, paleoenvironment, and polished bone tools between the two cultural layers, here we propose three hypotheses suggesting that the changes of environment, the migrations of the hominids from the North, or the demographic pulses may ca...
The Shuidonggou site cluster in northern China contains 12 different early prehistoric sequences ... more The Shuidonggou site cluster in northern China contains 12 different early prehistoric sequences with great potential to cast light on the transition to Upper Palaeolithic behaviour in East Asia. Here researchers present the latest results from Locality 2, reporting seven occupation levels with hearths, animal bone and diverse industries. Although previously compared with European Upper Palaeolithic sequences, the new work proposes a different trajectory of development. Distinctive macroblade technology arrived in the area, possibly from Mongolia or Siberia, about 41000–34000 years ago. This industry subsequently disappeared, to be replaced by flake technologies.
Assessments of the complexity of lithic technologies coming from different time periods, regions,... more Assessments of the complexity of lithic technologies coming from different time periods, regions, or hominid species are recurrent features of the literature on Paleolithic archaeology. Yet the notion of lithic complexity is often defined intuitively and qualitatively, which can easily lead to circular arguments and makes difficult the comparison of assemblages across different regions and time periods. Here we propose, in the spirit of Oswalt's techno-units, that the complexity of lithic technology can be quantified by counting the procedural units involved in tool manufacture. We define procedural units as mutually exclusive manufacturing steps that make a distinct contribution to the finished form of a technology. As a proof of concept, we use the procedural-unit approach to measure the complexity of 13 Paleolithic assemblages. While preliminary, these results provide a quantitative benchmark confirming that lithic technological complexity increased throughout the Paleolithic period. The method to measure lithic complexity outlined here will allow us to revisit several claims made about change in technological complexity during human evolution.
A large number of broken stones were unearthed from the ash layer dating 11e12 ka at Shuidonggou ... more A large number of broken stones were unearthed from the ash layer dating 11e12 ka at Shuidonggou Locality 12 (SDG 12) during archaeological excavations in 2007. Morphological and lithological analysis of these stones indicated that they were selected by humans, heated, used, and then crushed. Simulation experiments using the same type of rock demonstrated that these stones ruptured after being heated at high temperatures and immersed in water, suggesting that they were boiling stones used for boiling water and cooking liquid foods. The testing and analysis of the groundwater and surface water quality in the area revealed that the Escherichia coli level was extremely high, and that the water was not drinkable before boiling to eliminate the hazard. Ecological and environmental data indicated that various plants for human consumption had grown in that location since the late Upper Pleistocene and that certain edible seeds had to be cooked before being eaten. The fire cracked rock is the first recognized and demonstrated archaeological evidence of stone boiling in China, a kind of complex and indirect fire usage by prehistoric humans, which has significant implications in exploring the adaptation strategy of the occupants of the site, the development of human fire-usage history, as well as the origin or source of Amerindian "stone boilers".
Early hominins moved out of Africa and arrived in China sometime after 1.8 Ma. Using Majuangou, N... more Early hominins moved out of Africa and arrived in China sometime after 1.8 Ma. Using Majuangou, North China (1.71-1.66 Ma) and Yuanmou, South China (1.7 Ma) as the two tentative reference points for early hominin activity, we argue that similar paleoanthropological evidence should be present between these two localities in Central-East (CE) China. In particular, since the floral and faunal data strongly indicate that the region served as a continuous migration corridor throughout the Plio-Pleistocene, CE China should contain a diversity of evidence of early hominin activity. In this paper, we review the current state of Early and Middle Pleistocene paleoanthropological evidence in CE China. We note that there are questions/problems with some of the current evidence or interpretations of this evidence. However, the dataset forms a solid foundation from which to develop more detailed research programs and hypotheses to test. The key to investigating this region more thoroughly is systematic field and laboratory research conducted by a multidisciplinary team of scientists.
The criteria to define the Middle Paleolithic in East Asia have traditionally been presence/ abse... more The criteria to define the Middle Paleolithic in East Asia have traditionally been presence/ absence of archaic Homo sapiens fossils, biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, the Middle-Late Pleistocene transition, and lithic technology. In this paper, we examine the use of the Middle-Late Pleistocene shift as a valid criterion for characterizing the Middle Paleolithic in East Asia. Our review indicates that the most representative ''Middle Paleolithic'' sites in China (Zhoukoudian Locality 15, Dingcun, Xujiayao, Dali) all have chronometric ages that bracket the Middle-Late Pleistocene transition. However, the age range for these sites is extremely wide, extending from the middle Middle Pleistocene (c. 500 ka) to the middle Late Pleistocene (75 ka). This very large chronometric span suggests that the Middle-Late Pleistocene transition (140-100 ka) is of little use for defining a distinct Middle Paleolithic in East Asia. Other evidence to support a distinct East Asian Middle Paleolithic is also not strong, particularly distinct changes in lithic technology. Accordingly, we argue that an ''Early'' Paleolithic, representing the originally designated Lower and Middle Paleolithic sites, is more applicable to the uniqueness of the East Asian archaeological record.
A review of recently published temporal data from Shuidonggou Locality 1 indicates that a 40–43 c... more A review of recently published temporal data from Shuidonggou Locality 1 indicates that a 40–43 cal ka date for the inception of Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) blade-oriented technologies in East Asia is warranted. Comparison of the dates from Shuidonggou to other Asian IUP dates in Korea, Siberia, and Mongolia supports this assertion, indicating that the initial appearance of the IUP in East Asia generally corresponds in time to the fluorescence of the IUP in eastern Europe and western Asia. This conclusion preliminarily suggests that either a version of the IUP originated independently in East Asia just prior to 40 cal ka, or more likely, that an early, initial diffusion of the IUP into East Asia occurred ∼41 cal ka, a hypothesis consistent with current estimates for the evolution or arrival of modern humans in the region.
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright
The presence and age of large blade technology at the Shuidonggou site is a pivotal issue in disc... more The presence and age of large blade technology at the Shuidonggou site is a pivotal issue in discussions of the spread of blade technology in East Eurasia. Madsen and colleagues' influential work uses the dates (24,000e29,000 rcy BP [radiocarbon years before present]) they obtained from Shuidonggou Locality 2 to estimate the age of blade technology in this region, and suggested a very late arrival of Levallois-like blade technology from the north. This paper reexamines the evidence for the age of blade technology at Shuidonggou by comparing the lithic assemblages from the new excavations at Locality 2 with those from Locality 1. Several important points are demonstrated: (1) the lithic industry of cultural layers 1 through 4 at Locality 2 is not based on large blades, so reported dates from these layers cannot be an indicator of the age of large blade technology; (2) comparing Locality 1 and 2, the age of large blade technology appears to be around 34,000e38,000 calendar years BP (before present) in this region, suggesting a relatively rapid technology dispersal from the west and/or north; (3) the so-called 'Shuidonggou lower cultural layer' at Locality 1 includes both large blade and simple flake industries.
The initial Late Paleolithic, said to appear between 40 and 30 kya in eastern Asia, is defined by... more The initial Late Paleolithic, said to appear between 40 and 30 kya in eastern Asia, is defined by the appearance of many innovations. These archaeological indicators include the appearance of more refined stone tool making techniques (e.g., include the appearance of blade and microblade technology), complex hearth construction, use of pigments and personal ornamentation, as well as worked faunal implements such as bone and antler tools. We report here new findings from a multidisciplinary research project conducted at the Shuidonggou (Choei-tong-keou) site complex in northern China, a series of localities that date from the initial Late Paleolithic to the Neolithic. Six new localities (SDG7e12) were discovered and five localities [SDG2 (previously identified) and SDG7e9 and 12] were excavated, yielding more than 50,000 stone artifacts, fauna, ostrich eggshell beads, and hearths. Dating results suggest that human occupation of the Shuidonggou area occurred during the Late Pleistocene to Middle Holocene (w32,000e6000 BP). Some sites are characterized by small, irregular flakes, casually retouched tools [modified or informally retouched tools (i.e., non-standardized tools with sporadic retouch which was not well controlled)], and small numbers of blades or no blades. Others lithic assemblages are dominated by blades and microblades. At two sites, higher quality or exotic raw materials were exploited, but at the majority of sites locally-available river cobbles were used. In addition to blades, microblades and hearths, more than 80 finely-perforated and polished ostrich eggshell beads, mostly colored with red ochre, were recovered from three sites. Several worked bone needles and an awl were also uncovered from the youngest site, SDG12, in deposits dating to c. 13,000 cal BP. The implications for the initial appearance of the Late Paleolithic in China and movement of modern human populations into North China are discussed.
The Jingshuiwan Paleolithic site lies in the second terrace of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River and... more The Jingshuiwan Paleolithic site lies in the second terrace of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River and has a complete geomorphological section. Archaeological materials from early Late Pleistocene fluvial deposits of silt and sand are dated by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to ca. 70 ka. The stone assemblage from layer 7 includes retouched tools (118), cores (304), flakes (281), flake fragments (101), stone hammers (four) and chunks (102). Artifacts were made from lithic sources locally available from the former riverbed. The main type used was silicarenite; quartzite, hypabyssal intrusive rock, extrusive rock and volcanic breccia were also used. The principal flaking technique was direct hammer percussion without prepared striking platforms. Major blanks for tool fabrication were complete flakes (67.0%), followed by cores and incomplete flakes. Most tools were large. Chopper-chopping tools and scrapers were the dominant tool types, followed by points and notches. Modified tools were mostly retouched unifacially on the surface of blanks by direct hammer percussion. Jingshuiwan provides evidence that South China was occupied during MIS 4. Because of the similarity of the stone tool assemblage with earlier ones associated with Homo erectus, it may also provide indirect evidence that H. erectus persisted into the early Late Pleistocene.
Archeological research over the past several years has started to provide evidence relevant to un... more Archeological research over the past several years has started to provide evidence relevant to understanding both the timing of and processes responsible for human colonization of the Tibetan Plateau. This harsh, high-elevation environment is
Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia, 2012
The paper reports the results of an analysis of surface collections of artifacts made at the Luot... more The paper reports the results of an analysis of surface collections of artifacts made at the Luotuoshi site in Dzungaria, Xinjiang, northwest China. The site was discovered in 2004 by a joint Chinese-Russian-American archaeological expedition. A techno-typological analysis of the artifacts was carried out noting aeolian abrasion of the artifacts' surfaces. This technocomplex is quite homogenous and is characterized by a combination of Levallois-like and subprismatic blade-based reduction techniques. Analogs of the Luotuoshi assemblage have been identi ed within the lithic industries of the Altai, the Orkhon-1 and Tolbor-4 sites in Mongolia, and at Shuidonggou in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China, all of which have been attributed to the Early Upper Paleolithic. Luotuoshi is the rst site associated with the blade-based Early Upper Paleolithic discovered in northwest China and its particular features make it possible to correlate this technocomplex with those from southern Siberia and northern Central Asia.
ABSTRACT Shuidonggou Locality 1 (SDG1) contains one of the most important early blade assemblages... more ABSTRACT Shuidonggou Locality 1 (SDG1) contains one of the most important early blade assemblages in East Asia, and has been excavated and studied in detail since its discovery in 1923. However, most studies focus on typology and qualitative analysis along with contextual problems such as chronology and stratigraphy. This article outlines current debates on its chronology and stratigraphy, and supports a conservative wide temporal range for the SDG1 lower cultural layer of 40,000–25,000 BP. Using a combined chaîne opératoire and attribute analytical approach, we provide a quantitative technological analysis of the SDG1 lithic assemblage. Our analysis indicates that blade production was applied using two different strategies. (1) The main reduction sequence produced standard blades, elongated flakes and bladelets from broad-faced cores, and mostly from bidirectional knapping. On some broad-faced cores, the flaking surface expands to the narrow facets. In this case, the strategy shifts from a broad-faced to sub-prismatic core approach. (2) The second (and less common) reduction system produced blades and bladelets from prismatic and narrow-faced cores. Our results also indicate that SDG1 blade production was based exclusively on direct percussion and not on pressure or indirect percussion flaking, though marginal percussion was sometimes used. Comparing SDG1 with other Initial Upper Paleolithic and Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) in Northeast Asia, we suggest the SDG1 assemblages are typologically and technologically similar to the IUP assemblage in the Altai region of Siberia and Mongolia. Given the wide chronological range of SDG1 with some EUP technological features in SDG1 assemblage, we cannot exclude the possibility of incursion of EUP technology.
Acoustic response from lithics knapped by humans has been demonstrated to facilitate effective de... more Acoustic response from lithics knapped by humans has been demonstrated to facilitate effective detection of submerged Stone Age sites exposed on the seafloor or embedded in its sediments. Investigation of the acoustic response characteristics of knapped lithics, which appear not to be replicated in naturally cracked lithic pieces, is at the moment under investigation through laboratory experiments and Finite Element modelling of high-resolution 3D-scanned pieces. Experimental work is also being carried with chirp subbottom systems on known sites in sea areas and inland water bodies. Practical survey has already at this initial stage of development of an optimal instrument for mapping of submerged Stone Age sites, provided good results. This paper reviews the maritime archaeological perspectives this method opens for and reports on the present state of this work.
By at least 45,000 years before present, anatomically modern humans had spread across Eurasia [1-... more By at least 45,000 years before present, anatomically modern humans had spread across Eurasia [1-3], but it is not well known how diverse these early populations were and whether they contributed substantially to later people or represent early modern human expansions into Eurasia that left no surviving descendants today. Analyses of genome-wide data from several ancient individuals from Western Eurasia and Siberia have shown that some of these individuals have relationships to present-day Europeans [4, 5] while others did not contribute to present-day Eurasian populations [3, 6]. As contributions from Upper Paleolithic populations in Eastern Eurasia to present-day humans and their relationship to other early Eurasians is not clear, we generated genome-wide data from a 40,000-year-old individual from Tianyuan Cave, China, [1, 7] to study his relationship to ancient and present-day humans. We find that he is more related to present-day and ancient Asians than he is to Europeans, but ...
Two early Late Pleistocene (~105,000- to 125,000-year-old) crania from Lingjing, Xuchang, China, ... more Two early Late Pleistocene (~105,000- to 125,000-year-old) crania from Lingjing, Xuchang, China, exhibit a morphological mosaic with differences from and similarities to their western contemporaries. They share pan-Old World trends in encephalization and in supraorbital, neurocranial vault, and nuchal gracilization. They reflect eastern Eurasian ancestry in having low, sagittally flat, and inferiorly broad neurocrania. They share occipital (suprainiac and nuchal torus) and temporal labyrinthine (semicircular canal) morphology with the Neandertals. This morphological combination reflects Pleistocene human evolutionary patterns in general biology, as well as both regional continuity and interregional population dynamics.
Many archaeological sites were excavated in China, but rarely in the adjacent coastal areas. An a... more Many archaeological sites were excavated in China, but rarely in the adjacent coastal areas. An archaeological site at Huangniliang in the coastal area of Shandong Province, northern China was excavated in 2013. Abundant stone artifacts including hammers, cores, flakes, chunks, and retouched tools are found in the silty aeolian sediments. In this study, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) technique was employed to establish the chronological framework of the site. Medium-grained (45–63 μm) quartz was extracted from six sediment samples for dating. The equivalent doses obtained with the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol are shown to increase with depth. Three samples from the stone-tool containing layer yield OSL ages ranging from 54 ka to 59 ka, providing the earliest geochronological evidence for the presence of humans in the eastern coast of Shandong peninsula during the early period of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3.
More than ten thousands of bone fragments were recovered from the Lingjing site, Henan Province d... more More than ten thousands of bone fragments were recovered from the Lingjing site, Henan Province during 2005 and 2006. In this paper, through the quantification and statistical analyses of the skeletal elements of the two predominant species in this assemblage, aurochs (Bos primigenius) and horse (Equus caballus), the differential influences and weights of a variety of taphonomic agencies in the formation of the assemblage are assessed respectively. Compared to the natural agencies, hominid hunting and the subsequent disarticulation, slaughtering, and their transport of the bone elements of the prey species are the main factors accounting for the formation of the present assemblage. More importantly, this study initiatively identifies hominid’s differential treatment of the bones of aurochs and horse in the Paleolithic record of East Asia and demonstrably suggests that hominids at the site have already practiced sophisticated hunting techniques and subsistence strategies and may be q...
Ten thousands of bone fragments were recovered from the Ma’anshan Paleolithic site, of which 4358... more Ten thousands of bone fragments were recovered from the Ma’anshan Paleolithic site, of which 4358 pieces can be identified to skeletal elements or species. In this research, the bone assemblages are quantified based on elements of MNI, MNE, and MAU. Then bone surface modifications and skeletal element profiles of the bone assemblages are studied to understand shlepping behaviors and reveal the technique of disarticulating and defleshing the animals’ bodies, etc. Based on the analyses of bone assemblages and the comparative study with the ethnoarchaeological as well as experimental data, it is assumed that later hominids at the site made fuller use of the game animals than the earlier hominids. Incorporating the lines of evidence from chronological dating, paleoenvironment, and polished bone tools between the two cultural layers, here we propose three hypotheses suggesting that the changes of environment, the migrations of the hominids from the North, or the demographic pulses may ca...
The Shuidonggou site cluster in northern China contains 12 different early prehistoric sequences ... more The Shuidonggou site cluster in northern China contains 12 different early prehistoric sequences with great potential to cast light on the transition to Upper Palaeolithic behaviour in East Asia. Here researchers present the latest results from Locality 2, reporting seven occupation levels with hearths, animal bone and diverse industries. Although previously compared with European Upper Palaeolithic sequences, the new work proposes a different trajectory of development. Distinctive macroblade technology arrived in the area, possibly from Mongolia or Siberia, about 41000–34000 years ago. This industry subsequently disappeared, to be replaced by flake technologies.
Assessments of the complexity of lithic technologies coming from different time periods, regions,... more Assessments of the complexity of lithic technologies coming from different time periods, regions, or hominid species are recurrent features of the literature on Paleolithic archaeology. Yet the notion of lithic complexity is often defined intuitively and qualitatively, which can easily lead to circular arguments and makes difficult the comparison of assemblages across different regions and time periods. Here we propose, in the spirit of Oswalt's techno-units, that the complexity of lithic technology can be quantified by counting the procedural units involved in tool manufacture. We define procedural units as mutually exclusive manufacturing steps that make a distinct contribution to the finished form of a technology. As a proof of concept, we use the procedural-unit approach to measure the complexity of 13 Paleolithic assemblages. While preliminary, these results provide a quantitative benchmark confirming that lithic technological complexity increased throughout the Paleolithic period. The method to measure lithic complexity outlined here will allow us to revisit several claims made about change in technological complexity during human evolution.
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