史前人类对资源的认知和开发能力——石器原料研究的方法与意义

石器原料研究一直是史前考古学研究工作的一项重要内容。在探明石器原料质量和来源的基础上,将原料的选择和利用方式与石器技术、环境背景等相结合,可以进一步解读当时人类的认知和活动能力。本文立足于原料性质和原料来源两个方面,总结了现有的主要石制品原料研究方法及其应用情况。在此基础上,结合近年来我国泥河湾及东北地区相关研究案例,讨论石器原料研究及多学科研究方法对于解读史前人类资源认知和开发能力的重要作用。     

东谷坨遗址石制品原料利用浅析

本文从原料的岩性、来源与分布、原料的成因及开采方式等方面对东谷坨旧石器遗址石制品的原料进行研究 ,表明其岩性主要为燧石、微晶白云岩、硅质白云岩、硅质灰岩、构造角砾岩、石英岩以及中性火山岩等 ,与遗址附近基岩的出露和分布一致。区域范围内的地质调查和有关资料显示 ,石制品原料主要取自遗址周围出露的中元古界长城系高于庄组含燧石条带的微晶白云岩、太古界迁西群右所堡组石英岩以及侏罗系火山岩。燕山期和喜山期构造运动形成的断裂为原料的开采提供了便利条件。从构造破碎带附近直接拣取或从构造带上开采并打下石料是东谷坨遗址石器制造者获得原料的主要方式。对石制品原料的利用程度的统计和分析显示 ,东谷坨遗址在总体上对原料的利用程度是偏低的 ,多数标本还有进一步加工的余地。文中还讨论了原料对东谷坨石器工业的影响 ,对东谷坨一带旧石器遗址群石制品原料的综合分析提出了建设性设想     

河南登封方家沟遗址的石料产地

方家沟遗址主文化层出土了大量石制品,以石片石器工业为特征,年代约在距今5～3万年前。遗址周边是一个石料资源相对丰富的区域,可以通过原料分布、质量和可获性了解当时人类为何选择特定原料。遗址的原料既包括石英砂岩、石英岩和脉石英砾石,又包括脉石英岩块。石料调查显示,遗址附近丘岗顶部的中更新世砾石层可能是砾石原料的来源;西北距遗址约7～11 km处的嵩山东南麓元古宙地层中多见脉石英出露,最有可能是脉石英岩块的采集地。遗址周边区域并不缺乏燧石等质量更好的原料,但极少被当时人类所利用,这说明当地石片石器工业的长期延续不能用缺乏优质原料来解释。     

中国旧石器原料开发策略的研究进展

石料开发与获取是石器生产操作链的重要环节,也是史前人地关系研究的重要内容,能够反映史前人类的资源开发策略、环境认知与适应能力、移动模式和交流贸易网络等。相比于旧大陆西侧,东亚地区的燧石和黑曜岩等优质石料产地相对稀缺,中国许多旧石器考古遗址的石器原料主要来自遗址周边质量欠佳的脉石英、石英岩和一般燧石等,而相关的旧石器时代石料开发策略系统研究也相对较少。本文对中国目前已开展的旧石器时代石料开发策略研究进行系统梳理分析和总结发现,从旧石器时代早期到晚期末段,中国境内史前人类的石料开发策略存在明显的时空变化,主要体现在石料类型组成、产地选取和开发方式三个方面,可能主要受到史前人类流动性变化、石器技术演变和环境变化等因素的共同影响。综合而言,开展旧石器时代遗址的石料开发策略研究,对于理解中国境内史前人类的行为模式和交流迁徙等有重要意义。     

洛南花石浪龙牙洞1995年出土石制品研究

1995─1997年,经过连续3年对洛南盆地花石浪龙牙洞遗址的发掘,获得20余种哺乳动物、鸟类和水生动物化石以及包括人类生活踩踏面、灰烬层、烧石、烧骨和77000余件石制品在内的大量的人类文化遗迹和遗物。本文是1995年度龙牙洞内顶部扰动层及第4层上部出土的18608件各类石制品的阶段性研究成果。研究结果显示石制品是以中小型石片和简单的石片工具为代表的旧石器时代早期文化,而龙牙洞是一处内涵丰富的早期人类居住类型遗址。     

Nature des roches et aires d’approvisionnement en matière première des industries lithiques archaïques des premiers habitants de l’Europe. Exploitation des territoires

The archaic lithic industries of Barranco León and Fuente Nueva sites in Orce in Andalusia and the stone tools of the Vallonnet french site was studied by petroarcheological analyses and reveal the sources exploited by the hominids. The localisation of these sources give data to define the territory exploited. These three examples provide the opportunity to assess the raw material selectivity, the behaviour and the territory occupation system of the first inhabitants of Europe. These lithic industries are composed by local raw material collected very close to the site or even on the site. These sources were probably an important argument on choosing the occupation site.     

Les industries acheuléennes de la France septentrionale

The excavations of several open air sites in Northern France and, especially in the Somme basin, have given numerous data concerning the age and the environment of the human occupations for the period from MIS 12 to MIS 8. The quality of the raw material and the function of the different sites have a great effect on the composition of the lithic assemblages as it has been seen for the different sites located near the confluence of the Somme and Avre (Cagny-la Garenne, Cagny-l’Épinette, Ferme de l’Épinette, Gentelles). The characteristics of the lithic industries of Gouzeaucourt show the complexity of the transition from Lower to Middle Palaeolithic.     

陕西洛南盆地延岭旧石器地点发掘报告

延岭地点处于东秦岭洛南盆地南洛河第二级阶地上,属盆地西部“四十里梁塬”中部,紧邻支流县河。2012年10～11月对该地点进行发掘,揭露面积251 m²,在地表耕土层和平整土地扰动层、原生黄土和古土壤层出土石料、石核、石片、各类修理的石器、断块、碎屑等不同类型石制品856件。延岭地点加工石制品的主要原料为附近河流阶地砾石堆积中的砾石,以石英为主,石英岩次之,石英砂岩、砂岩、火成岩、硅质岩等偶有使用。剥片方式主要为锤击法,偶见砸击法。石制品以小型为主。石器组合包括刮削器、尖状器、石锥、凹缺器、薄刃斧和手镐。遗址地层光释光年代学研究显示该地点埋藏石制品的地层形成于中更新世晚期至晚更新世早期,其中距今12～7万年之间的晚更新世早期为石制品埋藏最为丰富的时段。     

石料力学性能分析在旧石器考古学研究中的应用

石料是石器制作过程中的重要因素,石料本身的力学性能不仅与古人类的原料利用方式密切相关,还会影响到石器打制方法、器物组合、甚至石器工业面貌。长期以来,旧石器考古学界对于石料力学性能的判断多基于简单的岩石矿物硬度和结构特征,实际上岩石的力学性能涵盖的内容远远超过其硬度和结构的范畴。本文使用力学研究的方法,通过对石料的单轴抗压强度测试,了解不同原料的力学性能,并将其与遗址出土石制品进行比较研究,尝试探讨岩石本身力学性能与石制品面貌之间的关系。     

汉中盆地洋县范坝旧石器地点出土石制品研究

洋县范坝旧石器地点位于秦岭南麓汉江上游的汉中盆地汉江左岸支流溢水河右岸第二级阶地上。为配合西安-成都高铁项目建设,2016年对该地点进行发掘,揭露面积171 m²,出土不同类型的石制品784件。范坝地点加工石制品的原料为遗址附近河流及河漫滩中的石英、石英岩、细砂岩、火成岩和燧石等砾石材料。硬锤打击法是主要的剥片方法,另外还有部分砸击法标本。石制品类型包括石锤、石核、石片、经过二次加工修理的石器、断块、碎屑及备料,石器组合中既存在尺寸较小的轻型刮削器,也有砍砸器、石球和重型刮削器等大型器物。遗址地层初步的光释光测年结果表明,汉江及其北部支流——溢水河第二级阶地上覆的堆积物形成时间为距今22~2.5万年之间,旧石器遗存的埋藏年代约为距今18~2.5万年的中更新世晚期至晚更新世阶段。     

黄河中游晋陕峡谷陕西侧龙门至壶口段新发现的石制品

2019-2020年,在黄河中游晋陕峡谷陕西一侧龙门至壶口段新发现9处旷野旧石器地点,采集石制品136件,部分石制品直接采自地层剖面上。康家岭地点石制品的埋藏地层为马兰黄土底部的洪积碎屑层,时代可能为晚更新世早期。苏家岭地点有1件石制品出自MIS3阶段弱古土壤层之下的洪积碎屑层,光释光年龄为距今7.2±0.7万年。其余大部分石制品的埋藏地层为马兰黄土层,时代为晚更新世中、晚期,其中凉泉沟地点埋藏石制品的黄土地层光释光年龄大于距今5万年。古人类加工石制品的原料主要为砾石,岩性以石英岩为主,其次为石英,此外还有少量燧石、细砂岩和硅质岩。石制品类型包括石核、石片、石器和断块。个体大小以中小型为主。石核和石片以自然台面者为主,剥片主要采用硬锤锤击法直接剥片,少量应用砸击法。石器有中小型的刮削器、凹缺器和大型的砍砸器,均属简单石核-石片技术产品。本次新发现的旧石器地点进一步扩大了晋陕峡谷地区旧石器时代遗存的时空分布范围,有助于后续相关研究工作的开展。     

L’assemblage lithique du site Acheuléen de Namib IV (Namib central,Namibie)

Despite a rich archaeological record, the old prehistory of Namibia, particularly from the Earlier Stone Age, is poorly documented, due to the surface context of the findings, exposed by erosional processes. In this context, human behaviors and responses to environment changes in this region during the Middle Pleistocene remain unclear. In the late 1970's, Myra Shackley surveyed the Central Namib dune desert and discovered lithic artefacts associated to fragmented fossilized bones of antelopes, elephants, zebras and buffalos at Namib IV. She interpreted this locality as an Acheulean butchery site on the shores of a paleolake. The radiometric dating suggested an age of ~347ka whereas biochronology broadly pointed the human occupation to the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (1–0.5 Ma). Thanks to these ages, Namib IV is currently the earliest dated evidence of human presence in the current Namib coastal desert. Contextualized by the existing chronological and paleoenvironmental data, we analyzed the unstudied lithic material recovered at Namib IV. To do so, we applied a qualitative morpho-structural approach to the stone tools and tried to reconstruct the productional schemes (chaînes opératoires). Our results argue for an important economy of the raw material, a spatial fragmentation of stone tool production and an important technical homogeneity of the lithic assemblage despite few possible intrusive elements. In the light of these analyses, we finally discussed the advanced site function of Namib IV as butchery site.     

Late Pleistocene to Middle Holocene lithic industries from Southernmost Patagonia. Discussing technical variability,continuity and innovations

The study of early lithic assemblages from South America's Southern Cone used to be strongly focused on projectile points, including the famed fishtail type, often using a typological approach. The last three decades have seen a growing diversification of theoretical and methodological approaches to lithic studies, as well as new analytical techniques, used to study issues including lithic production systems, technical variability, tool manufacturing and management, raw material economy and circulation, among others. Recent studies on lithic industries are exemplified by discussing Southernmost Patagonia's first human occupations, dated ∼13,000 cal BP, and Middle Holocene early marine explorations, dated ∼8000–7000 cal BP. An overview and comparison of Southernmost Patagonia's early hunter-gatherer lithic technologies is made.     

L’Acheuléen saharien : Un constat et une perspective

In this document we are going to update the old data on the Saharan Acheulean, although this data isn’t plenty and all dated from the 20th century. But to resume a new era of research on the subject, it is quite obvious to evoke it. Despite the fruitful discoveries in many lower Paleolithic sites in the Sahara, no scientific interest has been brought, in particular to the numerous lithic collections interposed in several scientific research laboratories. The new Acheulean site “Tehentawek” which was discovered in the region of Idelès, in the Ahaggar, right in the heart of central Sahara, and which was excavated using new research methods, revealed in 2008 and 2010 an interesting lithic material, very representative of the Acheulean industry. The steps adopted in the study of this site are considered renovative in Saharan prehistory. Appropriate and adequate exploration of the environment, the adaptation of field work to the rocky context of the Ahaggar region, allowed us to reconsider the Saharan terrain. The technological study of lithic material has provided a variety of tools containing choppers, hand axes and cleavers, as well as many raw flakes, sometimes compatible with the nucleus. The lithic raw materials used for shaping are local. The results of the analyzes carried out on the sediments collected can lead to a discussion on the Saharan palaeoenvironment.     

青藏高原东北缘江西沟2号遗址2012年出土石制品的初步研究

江西沟2号遗址(JXG2)发现于2004年,2012年围绕地层测年及环境研究开展了小面积试掘。本文通过对2012年出土的659件石制品进行的观察和初步研究,并结合其他出土遗物及考古年代学研究的基本结论,对遗址所反映的史前人类行为的变化及其与环境的关系作了初步报告。根据出土文化遗物(主要指石制品和陶片)的差异,遗址可以分为上下两个文化层,上文化层为10～80cm,包含陶片和细石器为主的石制品;下文化层为距地表80cm以下的堆积,该层仅包含石制品,其中除以燧石为原料的细石器产品,同时出土石英砸击产品。光释光和AMS14C年代测定结果表明古人类在该遗址活动的时间主要集中在全新世中期,遗址石制品原料和技术变化的研究初步揭示了该时段区域内史前人类的行为变化和生活方式的转变。     

黑龙江省桃山遗址2014年度发掘报告

桃山遗址发现于2011年,2013年进行试掘,并于次年展开系统的考古发掘工作。遗址2014年度发掘总面积36m~2,揭露出3个史前文化层,出土了丰富的遗物,包括石制品1943件,陶片12件,装饰品备料2件,植物果壳1件。石制品类型包括石核、石片、细石叶、鸡冠状石叶、削片、刮削器、锯齿刃器、端刮器、凹缺器、斧形器、锛形器和石镞等。此次发掘出土遗物从数量和类型两个方面均突破了2013年试掘工作对遗址认识的局限,更全面地展现出桃山遗址的文化面貌。遗址各阶段石制品原料及技术类型虽存在一定相似性,但也表现出较为明显的差异。光释光和AMS~(14)C年代测定表明古人类在该遗址活动的时间从旧石器晚期后段一直延续到新石器时代。     

吉林枫林旧石器遗址发现的石制品

2014年10月,张福有率野外调查队在吉林省抚松县漫江镇枫林村发现枫林遗址,并在2015年6月再次进行了调查确认,共发现石制品217件。石制品原料以黑曜岩为主,类型包括石核、石片、细石叶、工具和断块等。其中二类工具以刮削类使用石片为主,三类工具种类多样,加工较为精细。该遗址发现的手斧与阿舍利手斧较为相似,这在东北地区尚属首次,意义重大。经过研究分析,这是一处典型的以细石叶工艺为主的遗址。根据地层推测,遗址的年代为旧石器时代晚期。     

Raw material selectivity in Late Pliocene Oldowan sites in the Makaamitalu Basin, Hadar, Ethiopia

We report the results of an analysis of raw material selection patterns in the assemblages from two Late Pliocene in situ archaeological localities in the Makaamitalu Basin (Hadar, Ethiopia). While the same local conglomerate was used as a raw material source for both archaeological occurrences, different selection criteria are identified. At A.L. 894, selection for quality is subtle and the clearest selection is against non-homogeneous raw materials. In the A.L. 666 assemblage, higher-quality raw materials were selected and some rare raw materials reached the locality from unknown sources. A comparison between the Makaamitalu and other Oldowan assemblages reveals an overall shift toward higher complexity of both selectivity and transport behaviors from ca. 2.0 Ma onward, contrasting a typo-technological conservatism that pertains until ∼1.6 Ma. It is hypothesized that an increase in complexity of behaviors related to raw material selection and acquisition involved changes in the intensity and fidelity of technological knowledge transmission.     

Caractéristiques techno-économiques de l’industrie lithique d’un site acheuléen de surface : Aïn Dfali,Ouazzane, Maroc

The site of Aïn Dfali is located in the south of Ouazzane city of, in the Northwest of the village Aïn Defali. This area is situated at the western end of the Gharb plain in the southern area of pre-Rif tables. The Quaternary formations are located on the right bank of the river Redat. The large hills, at the West of Aïn Dfali village, consist of alluvium gravel attributed to Early Quaternary. In the foothills, the Middle Quaternary takes place with an attenuated highlighted. The exploited raw material used to make the lithic industries, found on the site, consists mainly of quartzite with a choice of mid/big-sized blocks. The reduction sequences are not complete as demonstrated by the absence of preparation and small flakes. Debitage and shaping reduction sequences coexist in this site. The shaping is essentially represented by handaxes and chopper-cores. Handaxes are often shaped on one side and show significant cortical residues; they are shaped on flakes elongated and flattened cobbles. The flakes used as blanks are generally cortical. The chopper-cores are exploited by unifacial unipolar knapping (from 3 to 5 removals) and show a probably non-functional sinuous edge. The utilized methods of knapping are Levallois (recurrent and lineal), discoid bifacial and unifacial and SSDA. The SSDA method shows the exploitation of 2/4 knapping platforms by an unipolar method aimed at obtaining large/medium sized flakes with irregular shapes and often lateral cortical residues. Very few retouched blanks were found. The Levallois debitage is done on flat and rounded cobbles, the preparation of the Levallois surface is carried out by centripetal knapping and the debitage surfaces show the detachment of a preferential flake, with a round shape, or a recurrent (centripetal or unipolar) exploitation; also documented is the production of Levallois points. The discoid debitage is performed on rounded cobbles, it is mostly unifacial and it shows the preferential exploitation of a pronounced convexity or the alternating exploitation of two opposing convexities. The flakes obtained are thick and have a triangular/rectangular shape with converging negatives. The material found in Aïn Dfali is the result of a selective transport and is in the secondary position but allows to certify an important prehistoric Acheulian occupation in the region.