Abstract: This paper describes a brief history of experimental microblade flaking studies and provides some experimental work in flaking microblades by the author. Microblade manufacturing techniques are an important development in the late Paleolithic. Around the Sea of Japan in northeastern Asia, there is a wide range of raw materials used for obsidian microcores and microblades. By observing and analyzing microblades from the Changbai Mountains in the late Paleolithic and from the Kerchin Sand region in the early Neolithic in Jilin Province, the author notes different platform types, and recognizes three distinct methods of manufacture: indirect percussion, the pressed method, and direct percussion.
The author differentiates three types of microblades (named Type A，B and C) according to characteristics of the platform. Type A has a small smooth platform without any broken scars on the back edge; Type B has a small smooth platform with some broken scars on the back edge; and Type C has a bladed platform with some broken scars on the back edge. Type A microblades could be produced by the indirect and pressed methods, Type C could only be made with the direct percussion method, and Type B could be produced with any of the three methods. This comparative study showed that all three microblade types were recognized from both the Paleolithic and Neolithic sites.
Therefore，the differentiation of these three types of microblades can contribute to further research on northeast Asian microblade industries.

Key words: Experiment; Microblade type