Insights into early lithic technologies from ethnography

Oldowan lithic assemblages are often portrayed as a product of the need to obtain sharp flakes for cutting into animal carcases. However, ethnographic and experimental research indicates that the optimal way to produce flakes for such butchering purposes is via bipolar reduction of small cryptocrystalline pebbles rather than from larger crystalline cores resembling choppers. Ethnographic observations of stone tool-using hunter-gatherers in environments comparable with early hominins indicate that most stone tools (particularly chopper forms and flake tools) were used for making simple shaft tools including spears, digging sticks and throwing sticks. These tools bear strong resemblances to Oldowan stone tools. Bipolar reduction for butchering probably preceded chopper-like core reduction and provides a key link between primate nut-cracking technologies and the emergence of more sophisticated lithic technologies leading to the Oldowan.     

三峡洋安渡遗址石制品研究

洋安渡遗址位于重庆市奉节县,埋藏于长江右岸第2级阶地的上部,时代为新石器时代晚期。该遗址出土了丰富的石制品,包括石锤、石核、石片、碎屑和石器;其它遗物包括以大溪文化类型为主的陶片和大量动物残骸。石制品的原料来源为遗址附近长江河漫滩的砾石,岩性以石英砂岩为主。石片生产技术主要为以生产零台面石片为目标的摔碰法。石器类型包括砍砸器、刮削器、石斧毛坯、磨石和磨光石斧等;砍砸器和刮削器全部单面加工,技术熟练,加工简单,刃缘较长;石斧毛坯虽为打制,但形状规整,加工精致,是石器加工的重点;磨制石器数量少且残断。洋安渡遗址的石器兼有打制和磨制两大类,虽然石器加工的重点为磨制石斧,但打制技术依然重要,其一方面为磨制石斧打制合适的毛坯雏形,另一方面加工砍砸器、刮削器等打制石器满足临时和补充的使用。洋安渡遗址出土的石制品为了解长江三峡地区新石器时代的石器技术提供了直接的材料。     

延边地区和龙石人沟发现的旧石器

2004年5月初,在对延边和龙石人沟旧石器遗址的调查中,在山坡台地的黄色亚黏土和含黄色砂质土的角砾层内获得40件黑曜岩石制品,包括石核、石片、细石叶和使用石片、刮削器、雕刻器、琢背小刀等工具。遗址可能属于晚更新世的晚期,即旧石器时代晚期。     

山西青磁窑遗址发现的新材料

青磁窑遗址是山西重要的旧石器时代早期遗址之一。1976—1977年经过两次发掘,发表了初步研究报告。1984年和1987年,再次在遗址中发现了53件石制品,类型包括石核、石片和石器;石片占多数,其中有疤台面和修理台面石片是该遗址中以前未发现过的,从而丰富了青磁窑遗址的文化内涵。     

丁村54：90地点石制品研究

此次研究的丁村５４：９０地点的石制品计１７１件,以大、中型为主,尤其是石器,大型者占石器总数的８３．３３％,在有刃类石器中,复刃多于单刃是其另一特点．５４：９０地点与５４：１００地点距离很近,高程相仿．两者的石制品差异显著,是有待探讨的问题．     

桃花溪旧石器

本文记述了桃花溪动物园地段整治工程发现的旧石器。这批标本发现于灰白色砂层中,石制品粗大,其性质与资阳B地点者相似。类似石器在附近已多处发现,其时代暂定为旧石器时代较晓阶段。     

东谷坨旧石器初步观察

东谷坨的旧石器,小型而加工精细,如果单从石制品来看,简直使人不敢相信它是直立人的作品。但是,遗物确实发现在时代为早更新世的泥河湾层里,这意味着中国古文化很早就已经有了高度发展。     

The enhanced tool‐kit of two groups of wild bearded capuchin monkeys in the Caatinga: tool making,associative use,and secondary tools

The use of stones to crack open encapsulated fruit is widespread among wild bearded capuchin monkeys (Cebus libidinosus) inhabiting savanna‐like environments. Some populations in Serra da Capivara National Park (Piauí, Brazil), though, exhibit a seemingly broader toolkit, using wooden sticks as probes, and employing stone tools for a variety of purposes. Over the course of 701.5 hr of visual contact of two wild capuchin groups we recorded 677 tool use episodes. Five hundred and seventeen of these involved the use of stones, and 160 involved the use of sticks (or other plant parts) as probes to access water, arthropods, or the contents of insects' nests. Stones were mostly used as “hammers”—not only to open fruit or seeds, or smash other food items, but also to break dead wood, conglomerate rock, or cement in search of arthropods, to dislodge bigger stones, and to pulverize embedded quartz pebbles (licking, sniffing, or rubbing the body with the powder produced). Stones also were used in a “hammer‐like” fashion to loosen the soil for digging out roots and arthropods, and sometimes as “hoes” to pull the loosened soil. In a few cases, we observed the re‐utilization of stone tools for different purposes (N=3), or the combined use of two tools—stones and sticks (N=4) or two stones (N=5), as sequential or associative tools. On three occasions, the monkeys used smaller stones to loosen bigger quartz pebbles embedded in conglomerate rock, which were subsequently used as tools. These could be considered the first reports of secondary tool use by wild capuchin monkeys. Am. J. Primatol. 71:242–251, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

湖北丹江口北泰山庙2号旧石器地点发掘简报

2010年3月—5月, 吉林大学边疆考古研究中心配合南水北调中线工程对丹江口库区北泰山庙2号旧石器地点进行了抢救性发掘。发掘面积500㎡, 地层堆积由上至下分为3层。第①层是黑褐色黏土层, 为耕土层, 发现石制品90件。第②层是黄褐色黏土层, 出土石制品21件, 类型包括石核、石片、断块及石器; 断块占一半多; 石器仅3件, 均为刮削器。第③层是红褐色黏土层, 出土石制品48件, 类型包括石核、石片、断块及石器; 石器有刮削器、砍砸器、手斧和手镐等类型。各层石制品原料的种类基本一致,都以石英为主。石器工业的特点是, 以砾石及其大石片为毛坯, 简单加工的重型工具为主要类型。结合与附近其他类似地点的地层及石制品特征对比推断, 第③层与第②层的时代可能从中更新世延续至晚更新世。     

涉县新桥旧石器遗址发掘报告

本文记述了 1994-1995年在河北省涉县新桥旧石器遗址发掘的石制品及部分采集品。石制品风格古朴厚重 ,石器加工不甚精致 ,以大中型砾石工具居多 ,石片石器占一定比例 ,具有我国南北过渡地带旧石器文化特征。它的发现 ,填补了太行山东南麓地区旧石器文化分布上的空白。根据地层及沉积物推断 ,遗址时代应为中更新世晚期 ,属原地埋藏类型。     

青藏高原边缘地区史前遗址2009年调查试掘报告

2009年6月—7月,在青藏高原边缘地区调查、试掘了6处遗址,获得一批石制品、动物骨骼残片、火塘等材料。石制品多数个体较小,类型包括石核、石片、工具、断块、细石核、细石叶等。通过对比出土材料及部分遗址测年数据判断,6处遗址的年代处于13ka BP左右的晚更新世至全新世。此次调查试掘,丰富了该区域人类活动的证据,对研究青藏高原环境变化、古人类的适应生存过程及技术交流有一定意义。     

石人沟林场旧石器地点试掘报告

2007年8月, 对吉林延边和龙石人沟旧石器遗址周边进行考古调查时, 在石人沟林场东北的红旗河第2级阶地发现了该地点, 并进行了试掘, 面积为69m2。共获116件石制品, 其中出土86件, 采集30件。石制品包括石核、石片、细石叶、工具、断块及废片。根据地层堆积、石制品特征组合及与周边旧石器遗址对比分析, 推测该遗址的地质年代为晚更新世晚期。     

王府井东方广场遗址石制品研究

王府井东方广场遗址出土石制品共计1098件,主要来自下文化层。除石锤、石砧和人工石块外,其他石制品的原料几乎全部为黑色燧石。石制品普遍较小,主要为小型和微型。石核数量很少,但石片占石制品总数的一半还多。碎屑在探方中的几个区域密集分布。石器加工精致,刃缘大部分都比较平齐且其上的修疤排列均匀、整齐,尤其表现在端刮器上。原料、类型与技术特点表明,东方广场遗址石制品组合属于中国旧石器时代晚期的以石片为主要特征的文化系列。这一文化系列与周口店北京猿人遗址、周口店第15地点、许家窑遗址等有较多的相似性,推测东方广场石制品组合是由中国旧石器时代早期和中期石器工业演变而来。     

The use of naturally-occurring copper and iron tools by monkeys: Possible implications for the emergence of metal-tool technology in hominids

This research examined the use of naturally-occurring metal tools by monkeys. We presented groups of capuchins (Cebus apella) with copper nuggets and apparatus that accommodated the use of tools to crack open nuts and penetrate barriers. Six of fourteen monkeys placed copper nuggets in forceful contact with hard surfaces. Five of these animals used copper nuggets to crack open nuts and penetrate acetate. In follow-up tests capuchins preferred stone tools over copper tools, and used an iron meteorite as a multi-purpose tool. We hypothesize that human metal-tool technology probably came about as a consequence of existing stone-tool practices.     

吉林延边珲春北山发琬的旧石器

吉林珲春市北山旧石器地点于2002年发现.该地点位于图们江的冲积盆地内,石制品发现于其黄色亚粘土层内和地表.石制品共52件,包括砸击石核、锤击石片、石叶和工具(使用石片、刮削器、尖状器和矛形器);原料以黑曜岩为主,占86.5%.根据第四纪地层堆积年代推断,石器地点的时代为晚更新世晚期,即旧石器时代晚期的偏晚阶段.     

蔚县盆地2019-2020年旧石器考古调查

作为广义泥河湾盆地的重要组成部分,蔚县盆地也曾是更新世期间古人类生存活动的重要地区。2019-2020年度在蔚县盆地开展了新一轮的旧石器考古调查工作,发现并确认18处旧石器和动物化石地点,获得35件石制品以及少量动物化石。从文化遗存的出露层位来看,泥河湾河湖相地层和黄土堆积是遗物埋藏的主要地貌部位。石制品类型包括石锤、石核(含细石核)、废片和工具;原料以火山岩、燧石和石英岩为主;石核剥片和工具修理均主要采用锤击法。技术类型总体上包含了简单石核石片技术和细石叶技术两套组合。结合相关地貌、地层对比资料以及石制品的类型特征,初步推测新地点的时代分别为中更新世和晚更新世,其中含细石叶技术制品地点的年代应为晚更新世晚期。     

宁夏水洞沟遗址第8地点发掘简报

水洞沟遗址第8地点是水洞沟遗址群的重要地点之一。2003年,对其进行正式发掘,揭露面积16m2,文化层内包含用火遗迹、石制品、哺乳动物化石及鸵鸟蛋皮串珠等。本文观察和研究的石制品七百余件,总体上显示中国北方地区石片石器工业的技术特征。根据该地点文化层的14C测年数据,该地点的年代为27,040±150 BP,经Int Cal09曲线校正后数据为31,323±101BP,与水洞沟第2地点的第2文化层年代(29.9ka~31.3ka BP)大致相当。     

湖北郧县肖沟旧石器时代遗址发掘简报

肖沟遗址位于湖北省郧阳区安阳镇钟家河村,埋藏于丹江口库区汉江左岸第二级堆积阶地,遗址所在地三面环水,北靠低山。2010年10月-12月对该地点进行抢救性发掘,揭露面积近1500 m~2,出土石制品413件。石制品类型包括石器、石核、石片、断块断片和碎块碎片等。古人类利用河流砾石,就地取材加工石制品;硬锤锤击是主要剥片方法;石制品总体以小型居多,石器主要以石片为毛坯,边刮器为主要类型。石制品特点显示石片工业特点。石制品类型以石片类和断块类为主体,石制品拼合率近10%,是一处原地埋藏的古人类遗址。通过与丹江口库区相关旧石器遗址的比较,结合地貌地层特点,推测该遗址形成于旧石器时代晚期。     

Barogali et l’Oued Doure. Deux gisements représentatifs du Paléolithique ancien en République de Djibouti

In the Republic of Djibouti, surveys and excavations, carried out from 1985 to 1992, confirmed the presence of the pre-Acheulean (Oldowan) and Acheulean sites in the country. Three seasons of excavations (1985-1987 in the Gobaad Basin, have unearthed in a hardened compact clay strata of an ancient marshland dating to the Lower Pleistocene, the fossilized skeletal remains of an Elephas recki ileretensis. Numerous stone tools have been gathered with the bones. The E.S.R. dating the elephant’s lower third molar gave a date between 1,.6 and 1,.3 MY that would confirm its paleontological grouping and the membership of this butchery site to the Oldowan period. The animal appeared to have been lying on its left side. The cranial roof had been separated from the calvarium, perhaps to get at the brain; but the skull remains in anatomic connection with the tusks. The jaw (mandible) seems to have been broken to extract the tongue. Hominids, perhaps Homo ergaster, knapped tools from a nearly outcrop of poor quality lava. The tools were specifically adapted to their needs, such as scraping, chopping and scattering the bones. The site has yielded 569 artifacts: utilized material and hammerstones (121); pebble tools (32); cores (14); “debitage” products (366); retouched flakes (36). Artifacts are rarely retouched and often broken. Five different types of choppers have been classified. The polyedrons and one bola make up 22% of the pebble tools. The cores are divided into unipolar, centripetal and polyhedrical types. In another site, Haïdalo, an almost complete skeleton of an Elephas recki recki in anatomical connection and without any sign of predation, has been found at eight kilometers from Barogali. During surveys in the Ali Sabîh region (1990-1992) seven sectors have been discovered and prospected in the Oued Doure Basin. On the surface area and also in situ into some little pits, 345 rhiolitic Acheulean artifacts have been found, near rhyolitic outcrop. These artifacts are generally large. The choppers (18) can be dividended into 2 sets : side choppers (55%) and end choppers (27%), often with a bifacial cutting edge. There is only one polyedron, but we have found eight heavy scrapers. The Acheulean group is important (43 tools). The bifaces are varied and there are also a few cleavers and picks. Cores are numerous (92) and Levallois cores are preponderant (45%). We find also centripetal cores (27%) and so unipolar, bipolar and polyhedral cores. Tools made of flakes (118) are numerous: scrapers are typologically diversified. Some of them have a double utilization. Notch tools, denticulate tools are presents but also end scrapers, burin, borer, back knifes and scantily retouched flakes. The characters of this lithic material, large cores and big flakes, large bifaces of various types, cleavers and retouched flakes, indicates that they are Acheulean products. So, the Doure Site can be placed in the Middle / Upper Acheulean transition.