Abstract: During the last stage of the Last Glacial period, Paleolithic cultures across the world dramatically changed in terms of population size, technological development, social structure building, etc. In China, late Paleolithic culture is unique compared with Europe, West Asia, North America, Oceania, and Africa. A small-flake-tool technological complex dominated this period in most parts of North and Southwest China. Laoya cave site is a typical late Paleolithic cave site in Yun-Gui plateau, which was systematically excavated in 1985 and 2013. This paper focuses on the typological and technological study of the lithic materials unearthed in the 1985 excavation and surface collected in 1983 and 1984. We discuss the low mobility subsistence pattern of the ancient local occupants. In the lithic assemblage, chunks and debris comprise 76.88%, followed by retouched tools (10.71%). Flakes count for 8.83% and the cores 3.1%. Due to the field methods in the 1980s, some small chunks and small debris might not have been noticed or collected, and so the proportion of chunks and debris might be higher. In the flake assemblage, type VI flakes (without cortex on the platform and dorsal face) are the main type, possibly used as cutting tools or as blanks for retouched tools. In the formal tool assemblage, scrapers are the main type and occur in regular, well modified shapes. The main raw materials for the entire assemblage are chert and limestone. Some quartz and sandstone are also utilized but in limited quantities. Based on the flake scar attributes and on the excavated hammer stones, we suggest that hard hammer stone percussion is the primary flaking technique, although some small volume specimens show long, shallow scars suggestive of soft-hammer flaking. In the 2013 excavation, several antlers were discovered, which had use-wear on the tips. Therefore, soft hammer percussion may have been applied by the Laoya cave occupants. Volume measurements (based on length, width, and thickness) and weight indicate that, although there are multiple anthropogenic layers deposited in the cave from 37,060 to 21,000 Cal yr BP, the knapping strategies did not change, and thus lithic morphology did not change during these 16000 years. Based on these lithic characteristics and on the local natural environment, we proposed a low mobility subsistence strategy for the ancient local occupants. The caves in limestone bedrocks served as residences for ancient humans in the mountain areas of Guizhou, and perhaps in all the mountain areas in Yun-Gui Plateau. These cave residences were stable and clearly suitable for long-term occupations, unless large-scale natural tragedies occurred. As a result, multiple living floors from different time periods are preserved in the cave. Good raw materials such as chert and fine limestone were available locally, providing the physical conditions for humans to make lithic artifacts. Long distance exchange was not necessary under such circumstances and low mobility can be identified in the human behavior.

Key words: Bijie in Guizhou; Late Paleolithic; Cave; Lithic artifact