Abstract: The function of stone hoes from the Lower Xiajiadian Culture has still not been resolved. This paper is an attempt to explore function, socio-historical significance, and research methodology of these tools. By analysing of their design, use wear, replica and use experiments, and ethnographic analogy, we argue that stone hoes unearthed from the Dashanqian site were neither a tool used for digging, nor for weeding. They are a kind of tool for breaking up clods of soil, hooking weeds, leveling fields, digging furrows, and dredging irrigation ditches. We further explore farming technology during the Lower Xiajiadian Culture, while considering socio historical conditions and environmental background, emphasizing the importance of these two criteria.

Key words: Lower Xiajiadian Culture; Stone hoe; Function; Farming technology