The lithic assemblage of Guanyindong: Implications of technological cognition of Hominids in Southwest China in Middle-Late Pleistocene

Summary

The Guanyindong site, discovered in 1964, is located in Guizhou Province, Southwest China, dated back to 80―115 ka and 40―190 ka based on two U-series dating (fossil and carbonate samples) results. The 2323 stone artifacts and numerous fauna fossils were yielded during 3 main excavation seasons. Here we present the study of 2272 stone artifacts, which consist of untouched flakes (N=161）and retouched flakes (N=1077), cores (N= 176), chunks and debris (N=804). The principle raw materials are chert (77%) and limestone (22%). Compared with other sites in south China, Guanyindong is distinctive because of the appearance of the Levallois technique. In the lithic assemblage, we found 59 Levallois flakes and 11 Levallois cores with characteristics that differ slightly from European and African assemblages. In the Guanyindong assemblage, Levallois products have fewer dorsal scars and simpler platform preparation than classical western Levallois artefacts. We use a demographic model to explain why Levallois techniques in Southeast Asia are different from the western. China and Southeast Asia is geographically distant from East Africa where the Levallois technique originated. As hominids dispersed from west to east, progressively smaller populations and drastic differences in environments have influenced the style of the Levallois technique, such as what was observed at Guanyindong.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15786