东沟遗址是蔚县盆地近期发现的一处重要的旧石器时代遗址，以往研究表明遗址的年代已超出放射性碳测年方法的上限。本文利用钾长石单片和单颗粒多步升温红外激发后红外激发光释光测年法(MET-pIRIR)对遗址剖面进行了测年研究，并结合贝叶斯模拟建立了遗址剖面的年代序列框架。结果表明，文化层的堆积年代在76~74 kaBP，对应深海氧同位素MIS-5a阶段的末期，文化上属于旧石器时代中期。东沟遗址为研究中国北方地区旧石器时代中期石器技术发展以及古人类生存策略选择等方面提供了新的考古材料与证据。

The Nihewan Basin is a pivotal region for investigating the evolutionary trajectory and cultural development of prehistoric human populations in China. The Donggou site, located in the Yuxian Basin, which is a sub-basin of the Nihewan Basin, is a significant Paleolithic site. The site had been excavated twice in 2017 and 2018. The excavation yielded abundant stone tools and animal fossils, with the stone tool industry belonging to the traditional flake tool industry of North China. The discovery and excavation of the Donggou site have provided rich materials for constructing the Paleolithic cultural sequence of the Yuxian Basin and the Nihewan Basin.

The sediments profile of this site is divided into seven layers: Layer 7 is fluvial channel deposits of coarse sand and gravel, Layers 6~3 are floodplain silt, Layer 2 is aeolian loess, and Layer 1 is disturbed modern soil from bottom to top. The cultural layer is Layer 5. Previous studies have shown that the age of the site exceeds the upper limit of radiocarbon dating. To determine the site's age, a total of twelve samples were collected from layers 6 to 2 for luminescence dating. The samples were dated using the multiple elevated temperatures (MET) post infrared (pIR) infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) (MET-pIRIR) procedure on both multi-grained single aliquots and single grains of potassium-rich feldspars (K-feldspars). Bayesian modeling was used to simulate the determined ages and establish a chronological sequence framework for the site profile. The dating results indicate that Layer 6 is approximately deposited between 126.1~98.4 kaBP, roughly corresponding to Marine Isotope Stage, MIS-5e~MIS-5c phases. The depositional age of Layer 5 is about 75.9~73.6 kaBP, roughly corresponding to the terminal phase of MIS-5a. The depositional age of Layer 4 is about 73.6~72.6 kaBP, Layer 3 is about 72.6~71.5 kaBP, and Layer 2 is about 71.5~70.1 kaBP. Layers 4~2 roughly correspond to the initial phase of MIS-4. The deposition rates are 0.03, 0.7, 3.30, 4.27, and 0.93 m/ka for Layer 6 to Layer 2. The variation in the deposition rates for each layer is mainly due to climate change from wet to dry.

The dating results indicate that the accumulation of the cultural layer occurred between 76~74 kaBP, corresponding to the late stage of MIS-5a, which places it within the Middle Paleolithic. The Donggou site provides new archaeological materials and evidence for the study of the development of stone tool technology and the survival strategies of ancient humans during the Middle Paleolithic in northern China.