Abstract: Stone tools play an important role in prehistoric life. The function and use of these tools has been one of the issues on which archaeologists focus. Nowadays, studies of stone tools are still concentrated on classification, lacking experimental evidence, especially for ground stone tools. In this paper, use-wear analysis and experimental archaeology were applied to stone tools at the Jiahu site to investigate their functions and use. A total of 41 polished stone tools, including 8 sickles, 7 knives, 7 axes, 6 adzes, 5 chisels and 8 shovels were selected for use-wear analysis at the Jiahu site and studied with a metallurgical microscope. We focus on the characters of polish and the distribution of striations, and then we analyze the possible functions of these stone tools. The results show that stone sickles were mainly used to harvest grass; knives were mainly used to process grass, wood and animal bones; axes were used to work wood, but they also were used to a small extent in processing animal hides and bones; the function of adzes was related to wood working; chisels of different shapes were used to work woods; the main function of shovels was digging. These results provide us more information about the functions of ground stone tools at the Jiahu site. Some artifacts preserved a range of use-wear patterns best matching multiple tasks and thus they had multiple functions. From the perspective of stone tools, this study reveals the production activities and behavioral characteristics of prehistoric humans, and it also provides an important basis for the study of the survival strategies of ancient people.

Key words: Jiahu site; Neolithic; Ground stone tools; Use-wear; Experimental archaeology