On March 8, the latest research paper entitled Lithic technology, cultural development, and human interaction: Reevaluation of flake tool assemblages in North China during MIS 3 of the School of History, CNU was published online byArchaeological Research in Asia, an important international journal listed in A&HCI.

As a technical tradition popular for a long time in the Paleolithic Age in North China, stone flakes are important evidence for the continuous development of the ancient human culture during the Pleistocene in China. The third marine isotope stage (MIS 3) (59.4-27.8 ka) is an important period for the emergence, expansion and evolution of anatomically modern humans in North China. At that time, ancient humans in North China still used stone flakes, indicating that stone flakesplayed an important role in the evolution of modern humans in North China.

Figure 1Distribution of Stone Flake Remains during MIS 3 in North China

Based on this academic background, this research systematically sorted out the cultural nature and age of stone flake remains during MIS3 in North China. The research showed that the peoplein North China using stone flakesduring this period carried forward the technical traditions across the area in the earlier stage, but41,000-30,000 years ago, some new cultural factors gradually and sporadically appeared in stone flake remains, including ornaments (A and B), ochre, grinding tools, bone grinding tools, and end scrapers. Further analysis showed that this cultural phenomenon indicated little but continuous cultural interaction between those using stone flakes and those using stone blades in the marginal area of North China 41,000-30,000 years ago.

Figure 2 (A: Distribution of Stone Flake and Stone Blade Remains During MIS 3; B: Age of the Emergence of New Cultural Factors in Stone Flake Remains; C: AMS14C Probability Density of Stone Flake Remains in North China)

Finally, this research, based on the distribution of the sites and AMS14C probability density data, concluded that42,000-30,000 years ago, due to the simultaneous population growth of those using stone flakes in North China and those using stone blades in the steppe zone of Eurasia, these two groups expanded from their respective cultural core to the marginal area, and finally formed a close and relatively stable confrontation in northern East Asia for 10,000 years. This also promoted sporadic and continuous cultural exchange and collision between the two in the marginal area.

This research was independently done by Li Wencheng, postdoctoral fellow from the Department of Archaeology and Museum, the School of History, CNU, and funded by the Major Project of the Source of China and Songshan Civilization Research Institute (DZ-7) and the Research on the Root of Chinese Civilization (XKZDJC202006) of Zhengzhou University.