Abstract:

The Tibetan Plateau is key to environmental and biological evolution but has long been considered a “forbidden zone” for human habitation. With the advancement of archaeological work, lithic remains on the Plateau, including the high-altitude Xizang Autonomous Region, have encompassed technologies such as core-flake, blade, microblade and handaxe. Taking Xizang Autonomous Region as the focus area, this article reviews archaeological discoveries, chronological frameworks, and understandings of technological origins by different lithic technologies on the Plateau.

Handaxe technology had spread to the south-eastern edge of Tibetan Plateau before 130 ka, represented by Piluo site. But the available materials are not sufficient to support its distribution to the interior Plateau sites like Xiada Co and Nwya Devu site.

Blade assemblages are discovered concentrated around Siling Co. Excavation of Nwya Devu site suggests that hunter-gatherers using prismatic blade cores arrived at the interior Plateau before 40 kaBP. However, no reliable Levallois elements have been found on the Plateau. Due to the paucity of archaeological findings, it is difficult to determine the exact dispersal routes of blade technology so far.

More than 100 localities on the Plateau suggest that microblade technology reached the northeastern part of the Plateau from North China around 14 kaBP to 10 kaBP, then spread across the Plateau at 8 kaBP to 7 kaBP. Due to the introduction of agriculture and pastoralism, it finally retreated to the marginal valleys of the Plateau after 5.5 kaBP.

Core-flake technology was also widespread on the Tibetan Plateau. Some core-flake assemblages may be contemporaneous with microblade remains but separated from them due to the lack of stratigraphic context. Some scholars have suggested that there are also Middle Paleolithic core-flake remains, which are not common in other parts of East Asia. Nevertheless, the evidence is not robust yet. Dated core-flake sites are found on both east and west sides of the Plateau. On the northeastern Plateau, core-flake remains are dated back to 190 kaBP in Baishiya Karst Cave. The Jiangjunfu 1 site also yields core-flake assemblages of MIS 5. At Piluo, core-flake remains present in both upper and lower cultural layers of the stratum containing handaxes. On the western Plateau, the cave site excavated recently is reported to contain two differentiated core-flake assemblages earlier than 53 kaBP and 45 kaBP.

Due to environmental and historical factors, the quantity and quality of archaeological work on Tibetan Plateau are insufficient. Therefore, systematic investigations, excavations and multidisciplinary researches are strongly needed. In addition, understanding of the Paleolithic outside the Plateau, developing interpretative methods for archaeological materials and deepening knowledge of landscape diachronic changes are also required for a better comprehension of the process and mechanism of human peopling and adaption on the Plateau.

Key words: Tibetan Plateau, Paleolithic, Lithic technology, Human activity