Abstract: This article describes a series of trial nicrowear studies on some archaeological flint artifacts from the Peking Man site and the Maanshan site in south China. 20 pieces were chosen for observation under the scanning electron microscope and preliminary results are discussed here.
Except 3 specimens, on which no use-wear traces were observed, and which were probably not utilized, 10 artifacts including 6 flakes and 4 retouched tools from the PekingMan site were observed to have been utilized, Among 14 edges, some of them were retouched; there are6 cases of multiple uses. For 7 specimens from the Ma'anshan site which belongs to the upper paleolithic period in south China, none of them appear to have been put to multiple uses.
Concerning activities and worked- -materials that these tool were used on, a comparisou from microwear analysis shows similarities and differences between the two sites:
Common Activities: scraping, whittling, cutting.
Common Worked- -material: wood, bone, antler, meat.
Differences:Peking Man Site: Ma'anshan Site
Activities:sawing· chopping, wedging, carving.
Worked- materials: fish(?), hide, fat, antler ... ...
Analysis of the stone artifacts from the two sites suggests that wood working is a common activity at both sites, moreover, artifacts from the Peking Man site show evidence of having been used to work all types of material also seen at the Maanshan site. But the latter site shows more kinds of activities.
On the basis of microwear analysis, some preliminary conclusions can be reached: no matter whether the artifacts are primary flakes or retouched pieces, they are not limited to unitary forms of utilization. The fact that use- wear was observed on all flakes chosen from the PekingMan site gives further evidence to surpport the statement that flakes were heavily utilized at thesite. Some stone artifacts of one type appear to have been put to multiple uses by Peking Man.Whereas, there seems to have been a tendency towards division of artifacts into specialized types at the Ma’anshan site.

Key words: Peking Man site; Ma'anshan; Paleolith; Scanning electron microscope; Microwear