Abstract: This study presents results of usewear analysis on lithic tools unearthed from Hutouliang, an Upper Paleolithic site in the Nihewan Basin, North China. The Hutouliang lithic assemblage includes predominantly finely retouched formal tools especially morphologically defined points. This study selected 52 out of 73 of these points, which are in previous typological analyses divided into 5 subtypes. Lithic use-wear analysis is used to examine microscopically edge damage and surface rounding in order to assess how these tools were employed. Stone tool use patterns revealed by usewear evidence suggests that humans living at the Hutouliang site made full use of pointed tips and edges for penetrating, scraping, and cutting, and that most of these points may have been hafted. Based on the usewear data and typological observations, we conclude that the Hutouliang people made and used specialized and curated stone tools in order to adapt to the changing climatic environment about 10000 years ago.

Key words: The Hutouliang site; Upper Paleolithic; Point; Use-wear analysis; Specialization