Analysis of the Xiaonanhai lithic assemblage,excavated in 1978 |
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| Authors: | Chun Chen Jiayuan An Hong Chen |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China;2. Chinese National Museum, Beijing 100006, China;1. Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China;2. Institute of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China;3. Institute of Archaeology, University College London, WC1H 0PY, UK;4. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origin of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China;1. Department of Ancient World Studies, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy;2. Department of Chemical Engineering Materials Environment, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184, Rome, Italy;3. Department of Letters and Philosophy, University of Cassino and Southern Latium, Via Zamosch 43, 03043 Cassino, FR, Italy;1. Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Beitucheng West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China;2. China National Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Corporation, Beijing 100034, China;3. Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing 100710, China;4. Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China;1. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origin of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xizhimen Street, Beijing 100044, China;2. Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China;3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;4. Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China;1. Université Bordeaux 1, UMR 5199 PACEA-PPP, Bâtiment B18, Avenue des Facultés, F-33405 Talence, France;2. Italian Archaeological Mission at Melka Kunture and Balchit, Ethiopia;3. Sorbonne Universités-CR2P-MNHN, CNRS, UPMC-Paris 6, 8 rue Buffon, 75231 PARIS Cedex 05, France;4. Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany;5. Dipartimento di Scienze dell''Antichità, Università di Roma Sapienza, Via dei Volsci 122, I-00185 Roma, Italy |
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| Abstract: | An analysis of the lithic artifacts excavated by the late Mr. Zhimin An in 1978 from the Xiaonanhai (Hsiao-nan-hai) Cave site in Anyang County, Henan Province, is presented, in addition to the materials reported in 1965 from the first excavation. Analysis suggests the poor quality of the raw material (e.g. chert) was a major constraint on lithic production at Xiaonanhai. Highly developed fissures within the locally available chert resulted in lithic artifacts that are small in size. Hard hammer direct percussion was the primary mode of stone knapping. The bipolar technique was commonly used as well, which might have been employed to cope with the small, poor quality raw materials. Secondary retouch is simple and not sophisticated. Limited tool types could be classified; most are probably debitage or discarded blanks. Use-wear analysis indicates that most of the flakes were used to process soft materials. Based on the associated faunal diversity, the environment is characterized as a tropical/subtropical forest. This could be the reason for the expedient nature of lithic production at Xiaonanhai. The Xiaonanhai industry might not be related to the Zhoukoudian Locality 1 stone tool industry as traditionally thought, but instead may represent a specific adaptation to the local environment. In terms of what is currently known about the nature of Paleolithic stone tool technology in China, the unilinear model is no longer relevant to explain the Paleolithic development in North China. In order to better understand the complexity and diversity of human behavior, study of the adaptation and idiosyncrasy of specific lithic industries in terms of cultural ecology and how they reflect variability in time stress and risks is required. |
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