福建莲花池山旧石器遗址孢粉记录的古环境初步分析

莲花池山旧石器遗址位于福建省漳州市,是我国东南沿海地区一处重要的旧石器时代遗址。在2005~2006年的考古发掘中揭露出一个包含有砖红土及网纹红土的地层剖面,在其中的3个石英砾石夹层中出土数百件石制品。光释光测年数据表明古人类在该遗址的活动时间大致在60~26kaB.P.,对应深海氧同位素3阶段(MIS 3)。孢粉分析结果表明, 古人类活动时期气候温暖湿润,植被面貌属于亚热带针阔混交林植被面貌,林下生长有丰富的蕨类植物,在这一良好的生态背景下,古人类活动频繁。遗址石器工业面貌是以刮削器为主的小型石器技术类型。这种以小型石片石器为主的特征不同于该地区旧石器时代早期以砍砸器为主的大型砾石石器工业传统,是我国南方地区MIS 3阶段开始广泛出现的技术特征。MIS 3阶段是寒冷干燥的末次冰期中一个温暖湿润的"间冰阶",该阶段全球范围内古人类技术出现明显变化,遗址显著增多,人类活动范围扩大。莲花池山的研究结果显示,气候环境转变是南方地区技术传统改变的一个重要影响因素,但南方地区多样化的区域小生境也提示这一文化传统的变革也可能由其他因素引起。

PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE PALEOENVIROMENT OF THE LIANHUACHISHAN PALAEOLITHIC SITE,FUJIAN PROVINCE, CHINA

Lianhuachishan Paleolithic site,which was discovered in the late 1980's,is the first Paleolithic site with stratigraphic context ever found in Fujian and one of the most important palaeolithic sites in Southeast China.This site is 6km to Zhangzhou city and located in the north outskirt.From the year of 2005 to 2006,a rescue excavation covering an area of about 600m2 was carried out by the staff from Fujian Museum and Zhangzhou Culture and Heritage Administration.Nine stratigraphic layers were identified at the site with a total thickness of more than 4m.In total,234 stone artifacts were unearthed from the 5th to 7th layers,which are three layers of quartz gravel bands and three layers of plinthitic red earth.The primary components of the stone tool assemblage are small flake tools and scraper is the highest percentage among all kinds of tool types including chopper,point,hammer,pick,and burin.A significant difference exists in the features of Palaeolithic industry in South China at Lower Paleolithic,which are characterized by big pebble tools such as chopper-chopping tools,cleaver and pick as the most common one.Vein quartz is the primary raw material for stone artifacts production in Lianhuachishan site.The principal flaking technique is the direct hammer percussion with no prepared striking platforms,but shows evidence of bipolar technique.Modified tools appear to be retouched by direct hammer percussion.59 sporopollen samples(58 samples from Quaternary sediments from the 4th to 7th)were collected from the bottom of layer 3th to 7th in the North section of TS8E2 and West section of TS8E1 with the collectiing space as 2cm. By a preliminary study for the sporopollen samples,the vegetation of Lianhuachishan was coniferous species mixed with temperate deciduous forest and mass fern under the forest.A kind of humid temperate paleo-climate can be confirmed.From the 4th to 7th the number of sporopollen fern is significantly increasing and the aquatic herbaceous in layer 4 indicates a kind of watery environment.The number of stone artifacts has an obvious decrease from the 7th to 5th and no artifacts are found in layer 4.By comparing stones and the environment from the 7th to 4th,it can be inferred that the discarding of this site by ancient residents may be due to the effects of a moist environment.By optically stimulating Lumininenescene dating of the 5th and 6th layers the age of 26kaB.P.and 40kaB.P.can be confirmed respectively. By the sedimental rate,the age of 7th layers is no more than 60ka,belonging to the Late Pleistocene and corresponding to MIS 3 stage.MIS 3 is a warm and wet stage exsiting in the cold and arid Last Glacial Period.At that time,the changing of paleoenviroment in South China also followed the pace of the globe with the changing of environements. Significant changes of lithic industry also took place and were characterized by the big pebble tool in Lower Paleolithicas as well as the small flake tools in many sites.Demographic pressure in this suitable environment created the new subsistence strategy and led to the expansion of human activity areas as well as the wide adoption of small flake tools. The sporopollen analysis from Chuanfandong Palaeolithic site,another site in MIS 3 stage in Fujian province,indicates that the environment is a kind of temperate grassland and different from the mixed temperate deciduous forest environment characterized by coniferous species in Lianhuachishan site. It is indicate that besides the environment effects there are many other elements for the blooming culture and technological changes in MIS 3 stage.