Table of Content

15 October 2024, Volume 43 Issue 05

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Research Articles



Gigantopithecus blacki discovered in the Early Pleistocene strata of Wulong, Chongqing

HU Haiqian, HUANG Wanbo, WEI Guangbiao, DAI Hui, XIONG Can, HE Shuxing, JIANG Tao

2024, 43(05):  701-711.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0057

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The fossil materials studied in this paper, dominated by well-preserved isolated cheek teeth, were unearthed from a horizonal limestone cave named the Meiziwan Cave (29°25′22″N, 107°30′42″E, elevation 589 m asl) in Baima Town of Wulong District, Chongqing Municipality, China. Three premolars (right P4, right p3 and left p4) and six molars (two left M3s, two left m1, left m2 and right m3) were interpreted as Gigantopithecus blacki. Measurements and comparison indicate that giant ape specimens from the Meiziwan Cave are characterized by small sizes and high proportion of dental caries and with adult and old adult to be the majority, representing the primitive form of G. blacki. The deposits in the cave are mainly calcareous clay mixed with karst breccias, bearing abundant mammalian tooth fossils. The faunal association, consisting of at least six orders, fourteen families, seventeen genera, and eighteen species, coincides with those found in the Longgopo site in Wushan County, Chongqing Municipality, the Gigantopithecus cave in Liucheng County and the Baikong Cave in Chongzuo City and the Chuifeng Cave in Bubing basin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi ZAR) as well as the Pa’eryan Cave in Bijie City, Guizhou Province in light of the special components of the initial stage of the Early Pleistocene, for example, small-sized G. blacki, Hystrix magna, Sinomastodon yangziensis, Stegodon huananensis, Ailuropoda microta, Ursus thibetanus primitinus, Equus cf. yunnanensis, Hesperotherium sinense, Tapirus sanyuanensis, Sus xiaozhu, S. peii and Cervavitus ultimus. G. blacki become larger through time from the Early Pleistocene to the Middle Pleistocene due to the comparison of tooth measurements. In addition to G. blacki, increase of body size can be found in giant panda, tapir and black bear. Considering occurred in the Mid-Pleistocene climate transition, the tendency can be thought to be bound up with prominent climate transition and ecosystem changes, corresponding to the hypothesis of the Bergman’s Rule that endothermy animals grow larger as the climate cools.

The Meiziwan Cave is one more G. blacki locality in Chongqing, situated within the area between the Longgupo site in Wushan, Chongqing and the Pa’eryan Cave in Bijie, Guizhou. The presence of G. blacki in the Meiziwan Cave enriches the localities found near the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and broadens the biogeographic distribution ranges, highlighting the significance of the evolution, extinction, paleogeographic distributions, and paleoecosystem of the Gigantopithecus fauna. Fortunately, given the abundance of karst pits, fissures and caves in the area from 30° to 18° latitudes in southern China, further investigations, excavations and research will potentially contribute to figuring it out.



Core reduction technology of stone artifacts unearthed in 2015 from the Banjingzi site in Nihewan Basin

REN Jincheng, LI Feng, CHEN Fuyou, GAO Xing

2024, 43(05):  712-726.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0079

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Banjingzi site, located in the eastern margin of the Nihewan Basin, is considered one of the most significant occurrences that formed during the early Late Pleistocene in North China. Since its discovery in 1984, several excavations have been conducted at this site. In 2015, a new excavation project was organized by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IVPP), in collaboration with the Institute of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics. This project uncovered an area of 36 m², resulting in the discovery of 4417 specimens. These specimens include stone artifacts, animal bones (excluding sieved pieces), and natural pebbles (L≥50 mm) from layers 4, 5, and 6. Analysis of site formation processes indicates that layer 5 was formed in the near primary context, while the other two layers were transported by waterflow from nearby areas. The archaeological materials were predominantly buried around 90-80 ka BP, as determined by the latest work on layer 5 using the OSL method. This paper presents a study on core reduction strategies of stone artifacts from three cultural layers uncovered in 2015. The findings of this study will enhance our understanding of lithic technology and the associated human behaviors that occurred during the early Late Pleistocene in North China.

The excavation in 2015 yielded a total of 2655 lithics. Out of these, 61 were found in layer 4, 2563 in layer 5, and 31 in layer 6. The stone artifacts were made using different raw materials sourced from local ancient rock outcrops and gravel layers. Chert was the most common material found in the lithic assemblage, while others, such as quartzite, dolomite, were used less frequently. In layer 5, the lithic assemblage comprises 111 cores, 419 flakes, 786 chunks, 1076 debris, 162 retouched tools and 9 hammerstones. Cores were primarily knapped on rocks, chunks, pebbles and flakes using direct percussion with hard hammers. Four categories have been identified: test cores (n=23), casual cores (n=68), partial bifacial cores (n=5), and discoid cores (n=15). Most cores were chipped casually and did not show any special technological organization. They were mainly exploited through unidirectional flaking on the same knapping surface. Discoid cores, which were assigned to the bifacial centripetal recurrent method, are considered to be an independent and relatively stable technological system at Banjingzi site. There are no obvious traces indicating intentional preparation of the debitage surfaces of cores, although a few striking platforms were occasionally retouched. Techno-complexes found in layer 4 and layer 6 shared the same characteristics as layer 5, but only a few lithics, including 3 casual cores with unifacial flaking method, were unearthed. Overall, the core reduction strategies at Banjingzi exhibit the main attributes of core-flake industries commonly found in North China.



Use-wear characteristics of the obsidian experimental artifacts

LI Yao, CHEN Hong, XU Ting

2024, 43(05):  727-743.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0023

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In order to completely understand the use-wear of obsidian lithic artifacts under Dark and Bright Field, the utilization experiments of obsidian were carried out on various processed material, such as meat, hide, gramineous plants, wood, bone, antler and ochre. Four items were recorded: micro-scarrings, abrasion, striation, and polish. Various of use wear patterns have be concluded in this project, including: 1) Smooth, continuous polish and sleek striation, related to hide work. 2) Rolled-over micro-scarrings, continuous and bright polish, associated with processing gramineous plants. 3) Rolled-over micro-scarrings, rough polish with comet-like pits, and intermittent striations, associated with wood work. 4) Continuous micro-scarrings with hinged and stepped termination, caused by contacting with bone and antler work. 5) Fern-like striations without polish, associated with processing non-organic material. 5) Metal luster, associated with processing ochre.

The effect of processed material, edge angle, action and processing time on microwear patterns were also discussed. The results showed that: 1) The hardness of processed material had great effect on the microwear patterns. With the hardness increasing, the size of micro-scarrings became larger; the abrasion and polish on the ridges grew from smooth to rough; and the striation changed from sleek form to intermittent or rough-bottomed form. 2) The angles of lithic artifact edge and actions also mattered. When cutting with thin-edged tools, discontinuous polish and strong striations will be formed. The striation are always parallel to or oblique to the ridge. While scraping with thick-edged tools, continuous polish and weak striations will be formed. The striations are perpendicular to the ridge. 3) The length of processing had a weak effect on use wear patterns. Various typical microwear patterns were developed in a very short time.

The microwear patterns of obsidian and flint were compared briefly in this study. The results indicated that obsidian and flint share same wear patterns on samples which were used for processing hide, gramineous plants, wood and ochre. However, the wear pattern of bone and antler work have great difference between obsidian and flint.

This paper identified different obsidian use-wear patterns about various processed materials and compared the patterns with the results of other scholars. The results are reproducible and consistent with the conclusion of Hurcombe and and other scholars. The data will support the further research on the function of archaeological obsidian lithic artifacts and the subsistence strategies of hunter-gatherers in Northeastern and Xizang region in China.



Paleopathology of vertebras osteolysis of the person from the Jiayi Cemetery, Xinjiang

GAO Guoshuai, WANG Anqi, WANG Long, ZHANG Quanchao

2024, 43(05):  744-756.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0011

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This paper made a paleopathological analysis and diagnosis of two cases of rare vertebras pathological lesions from the Jiayi Cemetery, a Bronze-Iron Age cemetery from Xinjiang, China. We speculated on the most likely type of disease, and at the same time, combined with the living environment of these two individuals, we explored the external factors that caused the patients to become ill. After identification, M172 is a minor of 10-12 years old, and M167 is a female about 35 years old. Two cases showed serious osteolytic lesions in the vertebras: endplate damage, internal cancellus dissolution and absorption. Before the paleopathological diagnosis of bones, we first observed the local bone damage through a super-depth three-dimensional digital microscopic analysis system. We found that there were traces of healing in the bones in the damaged area, thus ruling out the possibility of bone damage caused by buried factors, All skeletal injuries are caused by diseases that the individual suffered from during his or her lifetime. The cavitation of the middle vertebral body had formed hollow phenomenon. In M172, focal lytic lesions were found in hand phalanges, vertebra, pubis and scapulae, ribs and tibia showed significant local new bone formation; the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae of individual M167 showed vertebral collapse due to severe dissolution. Through CT and X-ray imaging analysis of bone injury morphology, bone damage area characteristics, combined with clinical medical data for differential diagnosis, the results suggest that Degenerative arthritis, compression fractures, and Scheuermann disease were excluded because they do not cause osteolytic changes, and two individuals might suffer from spinal tuberculosis, rather than purulent osteomyelitis, brucellosis, actinomycosis, bone cancer metastasis and some other fungal infection. Archaeological excavations of the site show that from the 8th century BC to the 5th century BC, people living in the Turpan area lived a life based on animal husbandry, mainly raising cattle, sheep and horses, which led to their frequent contact with livestock. Cattle are considered to be among the most infectious livestock to humans, including the consumption of meat and dairy products and even the reuse of feces and urine. In addition, backward medical and health factors increase the probability of zoonosis and meet the conditions for the spread of tuberculosis. The Turpan Basin is located in the middle of the Eurasian steppe and was an important location on the ancient Silk Road in China. There were close exchanges between different groups of people. This study is of great significance to the health assessment of the population in the region.



Deformation of the starting and ending points of the humeral tendon in the population from the Shuanghuaishu site in Henan Province

LIU Sitong, GU Wanfa, WU Qian, ZHOU Yawei

2024, 43(05):  757-766.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0048

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Any human body movement is dominated by the nervous system, which causes skeletal muscle contraction and drives the attached bones to entheseal changes. The attachment of these tendons or ligaments to the periosteum with blood supply or the surface of the bone cortex is called the attachment points of the tendon and ligament. Under the guidance of new archaeological theory, human osteoarchaeology focuses on rebuilding ancient people’s lifestyle and social behavior. Entheseal changes are the cumulative changes of long-term muscle use, which can reflect specific behavior patterns of individuals before their death. They are considered an essential index for restoring the intensity of activity or daily habitual behavior of ancient people. The Shuanghuaishu site is deemed the highest core settlement, with the nature of the capital city found in the Yellow River Basin. Studying the behavior patterns of the Shuanghuaishu people and the origin of Chinese civilization is of great significance. In this paper, the morphology of five fibrocartilaginous entheseal changes of scapular muscle, supraspinatus muscle and infraspinatus muscle, teres minor muscle, extensor common tendon and flexor common tendon of 70 individuals from the Shuanghuaishu site of Gongyi, Henan Province belong to the middle and late Yangshao culture was observed, and compared with Wanhua group in Ming and Qing Dynasties. The results show that the prevalence rate of the four entheses of women in the Shuanghuaishu site is higher than that of men, which indicates that women may undertake more daily work. Significant differences exist in the entheseal changes of extensor and flexor muscles between individuals over 30 years old and those under 30 years old in the site (p<0.05), and there may be differences in elbow behavior patterns. Compared with the Wanhua site, the prevalence rate of subscapular muscle and teres minor’s point is higher. The morphological changes of elbow entheseal changes in young individuals are rare, and some increase with age (p<0.05). The morphological changes of entheseal changes of the shoulders were more common (p<0.05). This difference may indicate that compared with the Wanhua group in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the upper limbs of the Shuanghuaishu population bear a heavier mechanical stress load, especially the shoulder joint activities. Since the morphological entheseal changes are easily influenced by many factors, the relationship between the morphological entheseal changes of upper limbs and their behavior patterns in ancient people still needs further discussion.



Stable isotope of the human bones from the Zhongjialiangzi site in Ningnan, Sichuan

ZHU Yutong, ZHANG Guowen, ZHENG Wanquan, ZHANG Yan

2024, 43(05):  767-779.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0054

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In this paper, stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen was carried out on human bones from the Zhongjialiangzi site, in order to reveal the dietary structure and subsistence economy of the ancestors of the site. Combined with relevant research, the economic pattern and adaptation strategies of the ancestors in the middle and lower reaches of the Jinsha River from the late Neolithic period to the Bronze Age were explored. The results showed that the δ¹³C value range of the ancestors of Zhongjialiangzi site was -18.4‰~-10.0‰, and the δ¹⁵N value range was 4.76‰~12.63‰, indicating that C₃ and C₄ foods accounted for a certain proportion in their food structure, and their trophic levels were high. It is worth noting that with the change of time, the distribution range of the δ¹³C value of the ancestors gradually decreased, and the δ¹⁵N value also had a tendency to decrease, which may be related to the further development of agricultural economy. Furthermore, there were differences in diets between different genders, ages and burial groups, it may be related to their status and role in society, or to the movement of people. In addition, the δ¹⁵N values were significantly higher in subadults than in adults, which may be related to breastfeeding and suggest that the ancestors of the site were cared for by adults in their early years. Combined with the local natural environment and relevant archaeological achievements, the ancestors of the Zhongjialiangzi site may have mainly engaged in rice and millet mixed agriculture, which was supplemented by collecting wild plants. The use of animal resources is diverse, fishing, hunting and livestock breeding all played an important role. Through further combing of the subsistence economy in the middle and lower reaches of the Jinsha River, it is found that from the late Neolithic period to the Bronze Age, the agricultural structure of the area was mainly mixed with rice and millet. Compared with the rice-based agriculture in the Anning River Basin and the agricultural structure of rice, wheat and millet mixed cropping around Fuxian Lake, the agricultural structure of this area had its own uniqueness. Furthermore, a small amount of soybeans and wheat began to be cultivated as supplements in the Bronze Age, indicating that the ancestors became more flexible and diversified in the use of plant resources. In addition, there are great differences in the agricultural structure of different sites, which may be caused by environmental differences in different regions, and may also be affected by factors such as topographic barriers and cultural traditions.



Selenga River human dispersal path in Initial Upper Paleolithic

Evgeny P RYBIN, Arina M KHATSENOVICH

2024, 43(05):  780-796.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2022.0017

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Here, we consider earlier Upper Paleolithic sites in the Selenga River Basin, the main fluvial input of Lake Baikal that flows through northern Mongolia and the southwestern Transbaikal region of Russia. Lithic industries from these sites can be attributed to the laminar Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) technocomplex, widespread in southern Siberia and Central Asia. IUP industries appear in the Selenga Basin about 45 kaBP cal. Aspects of regional typological variability and the transport of exotic raw materials over long distances indicate that these populations participated in developed exchange networks and employed high mobility targeting the acquisition of necessary raw materials. Two site types are present: quarry-workshops in northern Mongolia and generalized activity settlements in the southwestern Transbaikal. Although faunal data are limited, we interpret available information as indicating a specialization on hunting, focusing on migrating steppe game species. The distribution of sites in the mid-altitudes and landscapes of the Selenga-Orkhon geographical region and the geomorphological homogeneity of this territory also supported interregional human moves during the IUP.



A new insight into the origins of the Austronesian by the paleoenvironmental changes in the Taiwan Strait

ZHANG Suixin, ZHANG Ke

2024, 43(05):  797-812.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0024

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The Austronesian ethnic group, known for its strong oceanic connection, has been extensively studied in physical anthropology, linguistics, and archaeology for about a century. Scholars generally agree that the Austronesian people originated from the Taiwan region and the southeastern coast of the Chinese mainland. However, the question of how their ancestors arrived in Taiwan and then spread to other oceanic regions remains unanswered. Archaeological excavations along the coastal areas of the Taiwan Strait mainly reveal Neolithic artifacts with common features such as stamped pattern pottery, net sinkers, and layers of seashell middens. Notable examples include the Dabenkeng culture on the Taiwan side of the eastern Taiwan Strait and the Keqiutou culture on the Fujian side of the western Taiwan Strait. These cultures share similarities but also exhibit differences in stone tools and pottery. For instance, Dabenkeng pottery mainly features cord marks, while Keqiutou pottery includes additional patterns such as shell imprints, stamped hemp-dot marks, and engraved parallel lines. Some researchers speculate on a possible hereditary relationship between the two cultures, but they are puzzled by how they managed to cross the vast strait with limited maritime skills and without any clear maritime shift orientations and purposes in prehistoric voyages. It is noteworthy that most of the cultural ages of Keqiutou, Dabenkeng, and other discovered sites in the study area date back no earlier than approximately 7.4 kaBP, coinciding with the rise in sea levels to about the present level after the last deglacial period. Therefore, it is logical to consider the influence of sea-level changes on the origin and migration of the Austronesian people. Based on an analysis of the last deglacial sea-level rise, resulting ancient environmental changes, and current cultural features of excavated sites, we propose a possibility that the Austronesian ancestors emerged during the early Holocene (approximately 11.7~7.4 kaBP). This emergence was centered around the areas of both the nearshore of the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan Shoal, where they developed a “proto-Austronesian culture”. As sea levels gradually rose, their habitat was progressively submerged, compelling them to retreat to the inshore highlands on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The Austronesian relics discovered, such as Dabenkeng, Keqiutou, and Fuguodun, are actually offshoots of the Austronesian ancestors, inheriting their marine ecological characteristics. A scarcity of Neolithic remains older than 7.4 kaBP in the study area can be attributed to a “survivor bias” phenomenon. According to previous research on cultural relics and molecular anthropology, it is evident that there were at least three lineages for prehistoric humans in the Taiwan Strait area. The first lineage consisted of a late Paleolithic “local” community, which became extinct without leaving any inheritable evidence for later communities. The second lineage consisted of a quasi-local Austronesian community, i.e., the Dabenkeng and Keqiutou cultures, originating from the early Neolithic “proto-Austronesian” culture submerged in the areas of the nearshore and Taiwan Shoal and retaining their marine traditions and island characteristics. The only known example of the “proto-Austronesian culture” is the discovery of Liangdao Man I. The “proto-Austronesian culture” was originated by inheriting and developing the earliest pottery-making techniques and maritime skills, likely in very early Holocene or towards the end of the Pleistocene. The third lineage was an immigrant community that migrated southward from the area of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, bringing paddy farming practices. This community merged with the second lineage approximately 4 kaBP, leading to the formation of a widespread middle Neolithic culture in the study area. The incorporation of the second and third lineages advanced voyaging capabilities, providing a foundation for the expansion of Austronesian culture into the open ocean. The submerged areas of the Taiwan Strait nearshore and Taiwan Shoal, considered the cradle of Austronesian culture, await further discovery through submarine archaeological exploration.



Morphological characteristics of the head and face of Han children in Henan

WANG Xu, WAN Tengshu, LIU Xuemin, LI Mengsi, ZHAI Jiaqi, ZHAO Chunwang

2024, 43(05):  813-827.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0077

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The growth and development rate of children is rapid, and the size of the head and face of children in different regions and ages varies greatly. To provide data reference for the size design of children’s headwear products and improve the fitness of products, 11 cephalic and facial indexes of 337 Han nationality children aged 6-14 in Henan region were measured by manual measurement. SPSS 25.0 statistical software was used to compare and analyze the head and face size data and morphological characteristics of children of different ages, genders and regions, and to explore the method of type division of children’s head and face size. The results showed that 11 measurement indexes such as head breadth, face breadth and nose breadth of children were in line with normal distribution, and most of the measurements were significantly correlated with each other. There were significant differences in some cephalic and facial indexes among children of different ages, genders and regions. Age was positively correlated with the indexes. And the measurement indexes of boys were generally greater than those of girls. Most of the children’s cephalic and facial indexes collected at different periods have significant differences, and the total number of indexes with significant differences in girls is more than that of boys. Among the children aged 6-14, the distribution number of super round head, super wide face and middle nose were the most. Compared with the calculation methods of head and face size of standard body using deviation method, variance method and column method, the column method is the most accurate. This study updates and enriches the head and face database for children in Henan, providing data support for the development of ergonomic children’s head and face products and theoretical reference for human head and face measurement.

Excavation / Investigation Reports



A preliminary report of the 2021 excavation at the Baobaoling site in Yunyang, Hubei

GAO Huangwen, LIU Yingjie, LU Chengqiu, SUN Xuefeng, HUANG Xuchu, XU Jingyue

2024, 43(05):  828-838.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0009

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Baobaoling site is a lower Paleolithic open-air site located on the third terrace of the left bank of the Han River in Zhengjiahe Village, Qingqu Town, Yunyang District, Shiyan City. From July to November 2021, the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, together with the Shiyan Museum and Yunyang Museum, excavated the site with an area of 196 square meters and unearthed 341 pieces of lithic artifacts of different types. The types of lithic artifacts include cores, flakes, scrapers, choppers, points, handaxes, etc., with the most common being flake fragments, debris, chunks, and manuports, followed by flakes and cores, and the number of tools was small, mainly consisting of large and medium-sized cobble tools. The main raw materials of the lithic artifacts were vein quartz, followed by siliceous rock, and other rocks such as gabbro, sandstone, and andesite also accounted for a certain proportion. There are two retouched systems for the tools: one is the Chaîne Opératoire of small flake tools made from vein quartz, and the other is the Chaîne Opératoire of large cobble tools such as handaxes and choppers made from siliceous rock, gabbro, etc., and the two systems are independent of each other. Through the analysis of raw material exploitation and utilization strategies of the lithic artifacts from the site, it can be observed that ancient humans during this period had a clear understanding of different types of stones. They developed different utilization strategies based on the characteristics of different stone materials, enabling them to create both large and small tools using stones of different properties. Neither prepared behavior of the platforms and the flaked surfaces were observed on the cores and flakes. The selection of platforms generally had no special retouchings, with most being cortexs, while some were joint and plain platforms. Three debitage techniques, including hammering, bipolar knapping, and anvil technique, were observed, and there may also be the Yangtze flaking technique. Most of the cores had few flaking sequences, a small number of removals, simple flaking surfaces, and had not yet formed a fixed mode. The dating results showed that the site was at least 300,000 years old. There are few sites and locations in the Han River Basin’s third terrace that have been continuously dated by stratigraphic dating, and there is no more specific and in-depth research on the formation age of different strata. The discovery of Baobaoling Site provides important materials for exploring the cultural and technical capabilities and adaptive survival characteristics of ancient humans in the upstream area of the Han River during the Middle Pleistocene, and provides reliable references for the study of other sites in this region.



New discoveries of microblade sites in the Qinghai Lake region

HAN Fang, LI Jiyuan, QIAO Hong, XU Hailun, HE Honglin, GAO Xuan, LYU Hongliang, DU Zhanwei, CAI Linhai, ZHEN Qiang, MA Wenling

2024, 43(05):  839-852.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0076

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The archaeological investigation was carried out jointly by the Institute of Cultural Relics of Qinghai Province and the School of Archaeology and Museology, Sichuan University, in July 2021 and October 2023. The new nine microblade sites were discovered along the Ganzi River in Dayu Village, Haiyan County, and the primary cultural layers containing microblade remains were excavated. Archaeological remains from a small-scale the subsequent excavation” included lithic artifacts, animal bone fragments and ground bone tools. The AMS ¹⁴C dating indicates that the site dates back to around 9500 BP cal. This report presents the preliminary results from the investigation and test excavation, providing new evidence for the occupation of the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau by prehistoric hunter-gatherers at the beginning of the Early Holocene. Preliminary research indicates that the lithic technology is dominated by simple flake-core and microblade technologies. Quartzite and chert are the main raw materials. Quartzite containing cortex was found along the bank of the Ganzi River according to the investigations, while the source of chert remains unclear. In terms of the raw material use, chert is primarily used for microblade production, whereas quartzite predominates in flake-core complex. Techno-typological analysis reveals that the flakes were percussion mainly by single-platform cores, with a few double platform cores and core fragments were recovered. The platforms of flakes were mainly natural and plain, indicating a lack of preparation for the flake-core technology. Small size of conical and irregular microblade cores were recovered from the localities. Lithic analysis shows the platforms and flaking faces of microblade cores were frequently rejuvenated. The presence of tablet and over short flakes suggests the complete rejuvenation occurred on the microblade cores. The tools primarily consist of side scrapers, end scrapers and points. Unlike other sites in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, we recovered bone fragments and ground bone tools. Specifically, the ground bone cones and spade were obtained from the test excavation which may indicate the intensive use of the animal bone resource.



New paleolithic discoveries in Nanzhao, Henan in 2021

CUI Zuowen, WANG Chunxue, CHEN Quanjia, ZENG Qingshuo, ZHANG Nan

2024, 43(05):  853-864.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0075

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From February to March 2021, the School of Archaeology of Jilin University, the Nanyang Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, and the local cultural administration jointly conducted a special paleolithic archaeological investigation in the tributaries of the Baihe River in Nanzhao County, Nanyang City, Henan Province, including the Song River, Huangya River, Guan River, Kongshan River, Ji River, Ya River, and Yahekou Reservoir. Approximately 400 stone artifacts were discovered and collected at eight sites, namely the Xinanshan site in Zhongdian, the Xishan site in Xiaoyuping, the Yuping site, the Xinanshan site in Baiguoshu, the Xishan site in Wafangzhuang, the Fossil Man locality near Yunyang, the Dongshan site in Shenjiazhuang, and the Nanpogen site. According to stratigraphic comparative analysis, the Xishan site in Xiaoyuping, the Yuping site, the Xishan site in Wafangzhuang, the Dongshan site in Shenjiazhuang, and the Nanpogen site are equivalent in position to the Fossil Man locality near Yunyang and are located in the yellow-brown sand layer. Thus, their ages are tentatively classified as the Middle Pleistocene, approximately 500~600 kaBP. The Xinanshan site in Zhongdian and the Xinanshan site in Baiguoshu are located in the red clay layer on top of the yellow-brown sand layer. Therefore, their ages are tentatively classified as late Middle Pleistocene. Based on the comparison and analysis of the restoration and characteristics of percussion and retouched techniques at each site, the new sites are highly similar in terms of raw material utilization rate, the combination of some artifact types, and retouched techniques, reflecting the core-flake technique. In terms of artifact size, the Xinanshan site in Zhongdian, the Xishan site in Xiaoyuping, the Xinanshan site in Baiguoshu, the Xishan site in Wafangzhuang, and the Dongshan site in Shenjiazhuang belong to the traditional small stone industry type in North China. The Yuping site and the Nanpogen site exhibit transitional industrial characteristics between the South and the North. Through comparison and analysis of the stone industry at the Xiadong site and the Shangdong site in Xiaokongshan in 1980 and 1987, it was found that the percussion technology and retouched techniques at several newly discovered sites are more primitive than those at the two sites in Xiaokongshan, and their ages are earlier. In terms of raw material utilization rate, the combination of some artifact types, and retouched techniques, the Xinanshan site in Zhongdian, the Yuping site, and the Xinanshan site in Baiguoshu are closer to the Shangdong site. However, in terms of percussion technique and artifact size, they are more primitive than the Shangdong site and may have a developmental relationship with it.

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Research progress of investigating the ancient people’s diets by analyzing fatty acid in pottery

HUANG Yan, HU Yaowu

2024, 43(05):  865-880.  doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2024.0015

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Pottery is one of the important apparatuses for cooking, serving and storing foods in human society. Its porous characteristic makes it possible to trap the fatty acids degraded from animal and plant fats of foods to be preserved well within the pottery for long time even up to thousands of years. Therefore, archaeometrists have attempted to analyze fatty acids absorbed within potteries by employing many techniques such as mass spectrometer coupled with gas chromatography and compound-specific isotope ratios of mass spectrometry, to reconstruct the foods that humans processed or cooked. In China, however, there is still a lack of systematic introduction to the analytical principles and research progress of fatty acid analysis, especially in the identification of chemical contamination, although several new papers have been published in recent years. In this paper we firstly introduced the concepts, analytical principles and workflow of fatty acid analysis, highlighted the analytical methods used to identify fatty acid contamination, and briefly reviewed the history of fatty acid analysis in domestic and oversea circles. In general, the developmental process of fatty acid analysis can be divided into three stages. The first stage was during the period of 1970-1990, when the method of fatty acid analysis was set up by analytical chemists but there were only sporadic studies reported. During the second stage (1990-2007), researchers have had a deeper understanding on the degradation of fatty acids, standardized experimental workflow, and established systematic analytical principles. The revolutionary progress happens during the third stage (From 2008 to the present). In addition to the identification of plants and animals by mass spectrometry, the biomarkers to identify aquatic organisms, and compound-specific stable isotope analysis to identify the origins of dairy fats have been established. Now, fatty acid analysis has become one of the main international methods of exploring human diets in the past. We demonstrated some great progresses in recent years, including the advances in research techniques and methods that have led to more comprehensive information about foods, the reconstruction of milk transmission routes in Europe, the impact of environment and cultural tradition on subsistence, and the processing of food as a driving force in the emergence of pottery. Finally, we also pointed out some shortcomings of current research and provide an outlook for future research.