Residue Analysis in Chinese Paleolithic Studies: Perspectives and Case Studies

Summary

Archaeological plant residue analysis has developed considerably in China during the last ten years. In terms of the Paleolithic, state of the art technology has been broadly and successfully applied by archaeologists at various sites. Issues about stone tool function, plant use, the origin of agriculture and the like can now be deeply discussed with the direct evidence of residues from stone artifacts. This is the case for either chipped stone or ground stone tools. However, this technology requires archaeologists to follow certain regulations and design the whole project from the beginning, before the artifacts are unearthed from the sediment. Also, the time range in which this analysis can be applied needs to be discussed. The question arises as to how long can plant microfossils remain on the surface of the Paleolithic artifacts. In this paper, we present the results of several case studies concerning the preservation of Paleolithic micro-remains from different sites.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Use-wear, Experimental Archaeology and Residue Analysis in the People's Republic of China, A Session in Memory of George H. Odell   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage