Abstract: The Qingciyao palaeolithic site is situated between Datong city and the world-famous Yungang Grottoes in the north of Shanxi Province. It is about 5 km to the east of the Yungang Grottoes and about 8.5 km to the west of Datong city (40°6'N, 113°11'E). The site was discovered in construction of highway in the spring of 1975. This is the first pa_x001F_laeolithic site discovered in Datong area. A joint team of IVPP, Datong Museum and Datong Cultural Bureau excavated the site in 1976 and 1977, and discovered 8 species of mammalian fossils and about 1000 pieces of artifacts in the sand layer of the hind margin of the second terrace.
The mammalian fossils associated with stone artifacts belong to Cams lupus, Palaeolo- xodon sp., Coelodonta antiquitatis, Equus cf. sammeniensis, Gazella sp., Spirocerus sp. A and B. Bovinae indet.
Most of the artifacts were made of quartzite and vein quartz, the rest were made of flint and volcanic rock. The raw materials mainly came from Jurassic stratum nearby, and some were collected from gravel layer of the second terrace on the Shili River.
There are 135 cores which can be divided into two types: single platform and polyplatform cores. 375 pieces of flakes were divided into two types: flakes produced by the direct method with a stone hammer and bipolar flakes. In addition, a hammerstone and anvil were also found.
138 stone tools were affirmed. They are 110 scrapers (79.71%) 15 points (10.87%) and chopper tools 13 (9.42%), The utilization ratio of the cores was rather low. The cortex can be found on the cores and flakes. The stone tools were retouched simply and roughly and half of them retained cortex in varying degree.
The form and technique of Qingciyao assemblage are similar to those of early palaeolithic sites in North China.
Judging from the evidence of stratigraphy and fauna, it can be tentatively regarded [hat the age of Qingciyao site is the late stage of the early palaeolithic or the late Middle Pleistocene.

Key words: Qingciyao; the Early palaeolithic