Abstract:

Paleolithic archaeological research has predominantly centered on the evolution of lithic technology and the transformation of ancient human subsistence patterns. Scholars worldwide have deliberately correlated the stages of lithic technology evolution with those of human evolution.

The formation and evolution of lithic technology models are influenced by multiple factors. For an extended period, the prehistoric archaeology community has inclined to employ the perspective of Evolutionary Archaeology to account for the regional variation of culture or lithic industries. However, the role of the Behavioral Ecology perspective in Paleolithic archaeology, particularly in explaining the lithic industries in southern China, has been overlooked. In this paper, under two distinct theoretical frameworks, and by integrating subjective and objective factor analyses, the lithic technology model at the Yumidong Site and the causes of human behavior are systematically elucidated.

From the perspective of Evolutionary Archaeology, the lithic industry at the Yumidong site, as a regional variant of the main gravel lithic industrial system in southern China, can still be tentatively classified as Lithic Technical Model 1. From a behavioral ecology perspective, the technological landscape of stone products at the Yumidong site is regionally distinctive, differing from the conventional technological patterns hitherto observed. It represents a unique indigenous lithic technological pattern in the Three Gorges region and can be regarded as a new lithic industry or culture.

We examine and quantify the objective and subjective variables that contributed to the development of the lithic technology type based on a variety of ideas and viewpoints. In terms of raw materials, functional requirements, and passive adaptation, it is posited that the causes of the specificity of the stone tool industry at the Yumidong site are more objective. The role of subjective factors is limited and contingent upon objective factors, and ecological adaptation is the primary determinant of regional cultural characteristics. Nevertheless, subjective technological choices and cultural inheritance are also significant co-factors in the formation and stability of stone tool industrial characteristics. Stone tool technology was highly compatible with the available resources in the environment, and both influenced and converged to facilitate adaptation. This technology and culture system is deeply rooted in the lithic culture of the Three Gorges region. It is a successful instance of ancient humans adapting to the unique environment of the Yangtze River Three Gorges Region and a technological reflection of their distinct survival adaptation behaviors. In southern China, the lithic industry of the Yumidong site is an embodiment of regional technological diversification.

Key words: Yumidong site, lithic technology, evolution, human behavior