Abstract:

The Yahuai Cave site is situated at a limestone tower near Bolang Village, Long’an County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China (107°45′35″E, 23°6′25″N). It is a prehistoric site predominantly characterized by Palaeolithic deposits. Between 2015 and 2018, the Guangxi Institute of Cultural Relic Protection and Archaeology carried out excavations at this site. Four areas, namely A, B, C, and D, were opened, with a total exposure area of 50 m². A burial containing a complete Palaeolithic human skull was discovered. A multitude of cultural remains, such as chipped stone tools, ground stone tools, shell and bone artifacts, and potsherds, were unearthed. The majority of the stone tools are made of small quartz sandstone, tektite, chert, or crystal stones, exhibiting features typical of the “core-flake industry” commonly found in North China. Three hearths and an ash pit were identified, suggesting frequent fire usage at the site. Ochres were found throughout all cultural layers, and some of them were discovered to be ground into powder. Numerous bones of terrestrial and aquatic animals were excavated. The site was dated using the AMS ¹⁴C dating method to a period between 43,000 and 4,000 BP cal. Four cultural phases were recognized, with phases 1~3 belonging to the Palaeolithic period and phase 4 to the Neolithic period.

Key words: Yahuai Cave site, human skull, stone artifacts, Late Paleolithic