Analysis of lithic technology of Lower Pleistocene sites and environmental information in the Nihewan Basin, North China

Liu, Y.; Hou, Ya-Mei; Ao, Hong

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2012.09.024

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…It was initially best known for its long paleontological sequence (Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau, 1930;Qiu, 2000;Cai et al, 2013), but numerous Early Pleistocene archaeological sites have been discovered since the 1970s as well (You et al, 1980;Wei and Xie, 1989;Xie et al, 2006). During the past decades, more than 60 Paleolithic sites associated with Mode 1 stone tools (i.e., core and flake assemblages) have been found in the basin (Xie et al, 2006;Keates, 2010;Yuan et al, 2011;Liu et al, 2013), and a series of early sites have now been dated between the upper boundary of the Olduvai normal subchron and the Matuyama-Brunhes geomagnetic reversal (1.78-0.78 Ma) (e.g., Zhu et al, 2001Zhu et al, , 2003Zhu et al, , 2004Wang et al, 2005;Deng et al, 2006bDeng et al, , 2007Ao et al, 2010aAo et al, , 2013aLiu et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetostratigraphic and archaeological records at the Early Pleistocene site complex of Madigou (Nihewan Basin): Implications for human adaptations in North China

Pei

Deng

Torre

et al. 2019

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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The Nihewan Basin in North China contains the densest concentration of early Pleistocene Paleolithic sites outside Africa. This paper introduces a new archaeological site complex at Madigou (MDG) that was systematically excavated from 2011 to 2014 in the northeastern part of the Nihewan Basin. The site contains fossils and well-preserved stone artefacts in fluvio-lacustrine sediments. Our magnetostratigraphic results situate the MDG sedimentary sequence in the early Brunhes normal chron and the late Matuyama reverse chron, including the Jaramillo normal subchron. The MDG artifact layers are positioned within the pre-Jaramillo Matuyama chron, with an estimated age of ca. 1.2 Ma, close to the onset of Mid-Pleistocene climate transition. The MDG core and flake technology includes bipolar flaking of siliceous dolomite cobbles, and freehand flaking of chert and brecciated chert block fragments. Mammalian fauna and pollen compositions indicate that the MDG hominins lived in an open habitat varying from lightly-wooded grassland to an ecosystem dominated by sparse steppe near the shore of the Nihewan paleolake. Our combined results in the fields of archaeology, paleontology, palynology and magnetochronology suggest that innovations in technological behavior may correlate with adaptations to high environmental variability during the start of Mid-Pleistocene climate transition.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetostratigraphic and archaeological records at the Early Pleistocene site complex of Madigou (Nihewan Basin): Implications for human adaptations in North China

Pei

Deng

Torre

et al. 2019

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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“…On the whole, the comparative analysis suggests that Early Pleistocene hominins in the Nihewan Basin employed various flaking strategies in order to obtain suitable lithic tool assemblages. As has been pointed out, the cherts utilized by the Nihewan hominins are both fine- and coarse-grained, most characterized by internal impurities, joint surfaces and fractures [ 49 ]. As has been shown in lithic experimentation, the chert has a tendency to disintegrate during hard hammer percussion [ 46 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Lithic Assemblages of Xiaochangliang, Nihewan Basin: Implications for Early Pleistocene Hominin Behaviour in North China

et al. 2016

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Xiaochangliang (XCL), located in the Nihewan Basin of North China, is a key archaeological locality for understanding the behavioural evolution of early humans. XCL dates to ca. 1.36 Ma, making it one of the earliest sites in Northeast Asia. Although XCL represents the first excavation of an Early Pleistocene site in the Nihewan Basin, identified and excavated in the 1970’s, the lithic assemblages have never been published in full detail. Here we describe the lithic assemblages from XCL, providing information on stone tool reduction techniques and the influence of raw materials on artefact manufacture. The XCL hominins used both bipolar and freehand reduction techniques to manufacture small flakes, some of which show retouch. Bipolar reduction methods at XCL were used more frequently than previously recognized. Comparison of XCL with other Early Pleistocene sites in the Nihewan Basin indicates the variable use of bipolar and freehand reduction methods, thereby indicating a flexible approach in the utilization of raw materials. The stone tools from XCL and the Nihewan sites are classifiable as Mode I lithic assemblages, readily distinguished from bifacial industries manufactured by hominins in Eastern Asia by ca. 800 ka.

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“…There is no core rotation and a high striking recurrence on the same striking platforms with no breakage control or precise location of the loading point. This kind of product has been identified, for instance, at Nihewan Basin (namely Xiaochangliang) and Orce (Liu et al 2013;Gao, 2000b;Barsky et al 2013) (Figure 15).…”

Section: The Role Of the Bipolar-on-anvil Technique In The Lower Pleimentioning

confidence: 97%

“…comm. ;Liu et al, 2013) (Figure 15). According to Shen et al (2010), this technique was probably used to overcome the high incidence of internal flaws in the local flint outcrops.…”

Section: The Bipolar-on-anvil Technique In the African And Asian Contmentioning

confidence: 99%

The lithic assemblage from Pont-de-Lavaud (Indre, France) and the role of the bipolar-on-anvil technique in the Lower and Early Middle Pleistocene technology

Hermida

Rodrı́guez

Peña

et al. 2016

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology

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The lithic assemblage of the Pont-de-Lavaud site (Indre, France) shows a technical choice within the Lower Pleistocene European Mode 1 sites, which is defined by the widespread use of the bipolar-on-anvil knapping technique. Although it is traditionally considered an expedient percussion method, in this lithic assemblage a selective technical behavior regarding the reduction methods and raw material is identified. In this respect, different knapping methods are applied in accordance with a combination of the percussion axis and the recurrence of the reduction series. These features are also observed in the archaeological record from other Lower and Middle Pleistocene sites, which are discussed in the text. The role of this knapping technique in the hominin technology is, in our opinion, greater than previously believed. Its implementation cannot be considered as proof of opportunistic or expedient activities. The bipolar-on-anvil technique is applied in different contexts, on different raw materials and as a technical choice or gesture in the reduction sequences. Because of its low technical requirements, it can be considered as a successful technological strategy for overcoming raw material constraints for producing some specific types of pieces. Its ubiquitous presence, both from a diachronic and geographical point of view, is proof of its considerable technical versatility and, hence, of Mode 1 hominin technological flexibility and capabilities.

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Analysis of lithic technology of Lower Pleistocene sites and environmental information in the Nihewan Basin, North China

Cited by 12 publications

References 20 publications

Magnetostratigraphic and archaeological records at the Early Pleistocene site complex of Madigou (Nihewan Basin): Implications for human adaptations in North China

Magnetostratigraphic and archaeological records at the Early Pleistocene site complex of Madigou (Nihewan Basin): Implications for human adaptations in North China

The Lithic Assemblages of Xiaochangliang, Nihewan Basin: Implications for Early Pleistocene Hominin Behaviour in North China

The lithic assemblage from Pont-de-Lavaud (Indre, France) and the role of the bipolar-on-anvil technique in the Lower and Early Middle Pleistocene technology

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