Lithic technologies at Guanyindong cave, Southwest China: diversity and innovation during the Chinese Middle Palaeolithic

Abstract

There is a long-standing view of Chinese Palaeolithic that lithic industries with pebble-tools and simple core-and-flakes are prevalent, without innovations and technological changes until the advent of the Upper Palaeolithic. However, with new discoveries and reassessments of previous archaeological materials, many doubts have been raised on the tenableness of this view. Preceding reports of the Levallois concept at Guanyindong revealed the presence of an early prepared core technology in East Asia. To further contribute to this issue, here we present a comprehensive study of the whole Guanyindong assemblage. Our results found that Levallois stone-tool technology is not the only skill acquired by Guanyindong knappers. Instead, systematic Middle Palaeolithic techno-complexes, including multiple flaking strategies, diverse tool types, and formal tool manufacture, suggest that Guanyindong industry is indeed a Middle Palaeolithic technological complex that is comparable with West Eurasia and Africa, challenging the previous understanding of Palaeolithic industries pre-40 ka in China as static and conventional.