Abstract:

Levallois technology, denominated after the Levallois-Perret site located in the northern suburbs of Paris, France, was initially recognized and demarcated by the archaeologist Henri Breuil. This particular technology, which necessitates the fabrication of specific flake products through core preparation, forms a distinctive hallmark of the Middle Paleolithic epoch in the western region of the Old World (referred to as the Middle Stone Age in the African context). It epitomizes the primary technological expression of Mode 3 preformed cores within Clark’s five-mode technological classification system. Marked by the pre-shaping of cores and the generation of specialized flake varieties, Levallois technology held sway in the Mousterian industrial complex.

Levallois technology originally sprang up during the late phase of the Lower Paleolithic Acheulian industry and subsequently experienced further progression within the Mousterian technological paradigm during the Middle Paleolithic period. The incidence and application of Levallois technology exhibited pronounced variations among diverse Paleolithic assemblages; nevertheless, it unfailingly materialized in a multitude of stone tool industries spanning the Near East, Europe, Africa, and Asia. This lithic technology was noteworthy for its elaborate preforming sequence and the production of standardized implements, attesting to the elevated cognitive capabilities of ancient humans. As a result, this technology is routinely contemplated in the reconstructions of human intellectual evolution, given that it intimates advanced powers of conceptualization, abstraction, intelligence, and language.

In contradistinction to its widespread prevalence in other regions, the documentary evidence of Levallois technology in China remains comparatively scant, attributable to the paucity of archaeological vestiges. Some scholars previously attributed the deficiency of Levallois technology in East Asia to meager effective population sizes and the absence of the Acheulian heritage. However, in recent years, with the strides made in archaeological excavations, the discovery of artifacts embodying Levallois technology at Chinese sites has galvanized the attention of the academic fraternity. Indicative Levallois artifacts have been unearthed at several locations in northern China, especially in areas proximate to Russia and Mongolia. These sites, dating back approximately 50,000 to 40,000 years ago, include Shuidonggou, Jinsitai, and Tongtian Cave. These findings have subverted prior assumptions and furnished novel vantage points for grasping technological assemblages, technological dissemination, as well as the divergences from representative sites of the late Middle Pleistocene and early Late Pleistocene in northern China.

This paper strives to introduce and encapsulate the Levallois concepts, products, and idiosyncratic traits of the reduction pattern. It clarifies the extant evidence of Levallois technology unearthed in China and the characteristics of the affiliated industries. By dint of this endeavor, we aspire to proffer valuable perspectives for further research undertakings.

Key words: stone artifacts, core, flaking, Levallois technology