Abstract: Blade technology, considered by many scholars as the marker of modern humans, and its relationship with the transitional and initial Upper Paleolithic industries, are hotly discussed in the scientific community. With the occurrence of general blade assemblages in China as extremely limited, sites containing blade technology play an essential role in any discussion of blade technology diffusion and Eurasian population migrations.
Since the discovery and recognition of blade production at the Shuidonggou Locality 1 in 1923, the definition of this significant Upper Paleolithic stone artifact has always been discussed, but is still ambiguous. Considering the widespread distribution of blade technology in North China, a clearer definition of blades is crucial to understand of that distribution and of the composition of blade technology in the Chinese Paleolithic. Several different flaking methods can be used to produce blades, but they may represent different populations, or have variable duration and spatial distribution during the Paleolithic. This paper limits discussion of prismatic blade technology to the Upper Paleolithic, but recognizes the importance of understanding blade technology throughout China at different times and different regions.
Standard definitions distinguish blades from simple flakes by employing dimension as a significant criterion, especially the ratio of length and width. My research re-examines these definitions in a way of “genus and differentia” and presents a new definition emphasizing technological attributes as well as characteristics of the dorsal ridge. A blade is long and relatively thin and is defined as at least twice as long as it is wide (usually more than 12 mm). It is usually flaked from prepared cores with vertical ridges, and characterized by parallel sides at proximal and middle sections with straight ridges on the dorsal surface. However, there is much variability in blade production and it is hard to observe these technological features, so it is important to consider the full scope of blade manufacturing techniques in an assemblage, especially core reduction.

Key words: Blades; Attributes; Technology; Core reduction