A preliminary report on the excavation of Caijiagou-A Paleolithic site in Yuxian, Nihewan Basin

doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0106

Abstract

Abstract:

The Nihewan Basin (senso lato) comprises three subbasins named Datong, Yangyuan, and Yuxian Subbasins. The long sequence of fluvio-lacustrine sediments from the Nihewan Basin preserve a wealth of paleoanthropological remains, which provide opportunity for exploring early human evolution and adaptative behaviors in North China. Previous research has focused on the Yangyuan subbasin, whereas Yuxian subbasin (also one of the main parts of the Nihewan Basin) also developed fluvio-lacustrine sequence and possesses significant scientific value and research potential. Starting from 2015, Professor Pei’s team from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has led a systematic and continuous Paleolithic archaeological surveys and excavations within the Yuxian subasin. Many archaeological sites and a wealth of stone artifacts and animal fossils were discovered, providing important materials for studying the survival behaviors and environmental adaptations of early humans during Pleistocene in the broader Nihewan Basin.

The Caijiagou site, situated in the Jijiazhuang platform of the northeastern Yuxian subasin, is an important Middle Pleistocene site. It was discovered during field surveys conducted between 2017 and 2018 and comprises three locations: Caijiagou-A, Caijiagou-B, and Caijiagou-C. As the first discovered site, the Caijiagou-A (CJG-A) site was excavated from September to October 2019, exposing an area of about 35 square meters, yielding 349 lithic specimens and 569 animal fossils. Based on the mammalian fauna from the archaeological layer in the arachaeostratigraphic section, the burial age of the site is estimated to be the Middle Pleistocene. Cosmogenic ²⁶Al/¹⁰Be burial dating indicates that early human occupied the site most probably took place between 0.47 ± 0.13 Ma ~ 0.64 ± 0.21 Ma.

Technologically, the CJG-A lithic assemblage consists of 349 artefacts which can be divided into Detatched pieces, Flaked pieces and Pounded pieces. Lithic raw material includes lava show fluvial cortex and suggest sourcing from streams, while siliceous dolomite, chert nodules and quartz derive from the outcrops. Regional geological surveys indicate the raw material were obtained from relatively long distance of about 8 km from the site. Lava is the predominant (77.9%) rock type. Cores, debitage shatter, and retouched tools from CJG-A indicate that freehand percussion was the major knapping technique, while the use of hammer-and-anvil technique is occasionally adopted to knap low-quality dolomite. Although CJG-A reduction sequences are relatively short, resulting in a low degree of flake morphologies and dimensions, high percentage of whole flake type V and VI plus sophisticated flaking modes indicate that relatively high flaking rate and later stages of knapping sequence. Retouched pieces are present in CJG-A lithic assemblage, with proportion of 11.7%. Retouch is normally on flakes or flake fragments even angular shatters. Scraper dominants the tool type, followed by points and denticulates. Retouch is casual in CJG-A assemblages, with no imposition of standardized shapes on blanks. The condition of preservation and trace marks on the animal bones indicate that the accumulation of animal fossils were probably made by early humans.

The CJG-A lithic assemblage is characterized by a core and flake technology which can be assigned to Oldowan-like or Mode 1 technology in East Asia. While, the raw material transportation, persistence using of direct hard hammer percussion, and relatively long sequence of knapping sequence imply the technological diversity and flexibility among the mode 1 technology. This research of CJG-A site bear great significance for the study of human evolution and behavioral adaptations in the Nihewan Basin even North China during the Middle Pleistocene.

Key words: Caijiagou-A site, Middle Pleistocene, human occupation, technical flexibility, Nihewan Basin

CLC Number:

K871

GENG Shuaijie, PEI Shuwen, DU Yuwei, XU Jingyue, YE Zhi, LIU Ziyi. A preliminary report on the excavation of Caijiagou-A Paleolithic site in Yuxian, Nihewan Basin[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2026, 45(03): 500-514.

Figures/Tables 10

References 45

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原料Raw materials 类型Types	火山岩Lava		硅质白云岩Dolomite		燧石Chert		石英Quartz		其他Others		总计Total
原料Raw materials 类型Types	数量n	占比%	数量n	占比%	数量n	占比%	数量n	占比%	数量n	占比%	数量n	占比%
剥离类Detached pieces											264	75.6%
完整石片Whole flakes	136	49.8%	13	30.2%	4	33.3%	3	37.5%	3	23.1%	159	45.6%
碎片Flake fragments	21	7.7%	4	9.3%	3	25%	0	0	2	15.4%	30	8.6%
断块Chunks	47	17.2%	15	34.9%	3	25%	3	37.5%	6	46.2%	74	21.2%
剥片类Flaked pieces											70	20.1%
石核Cores	25	9.2%	4	9.3%	0	0	1	12.5%	0	0	30	8.3%
石器Retouched tools	34	12.5%	5	11.6%	1	8.3%	1	12.5%	0	0	41	11.7%
打击类Pounded pieces											2	0.6%
石锤Hammerstones	1	0.4%	1	2.3%	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.6%
天然类Unmodified pieces											13	3.7%
砾石Cobbles	2	0.7%	1	2.3%	1	8.3%	0	0	0	0	3	0.9%
岩块Blocks	8	2.9%	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	15.4%	10	2.9%
总计Total	273	78.2%	43	12.3%	12	3.4%	8	2.3%	13	3.7%	349	100%

原料Raw materials 类型Types	火山岩Lava		硅质白云岩Dolomite		燧石Chert		石英Quartz		其他Others		总计Total
原料Raw materials 类型Types	数量n	占比%	数量n	占比%	数量n	占比%	数量n	占比%	数量n	占比%	数量n	占比%
剥离类Detached pieces											264	75.6%
完整石片Whole flakes	136	49.8%	13	30.2%	4	33.3%	3	37.5%	3	23.1%	159	45.6%
碎片Flake fragments	21	7.7%	4	9.3%	3	25%	0	0	2	15.4%	30	8.6%
断块Chunks	47	17.2%	15	34.9%	3	25%	3	37.5%	6	46.2%	74	21.2%
剥片类Flaked pieces											70	20.1%
石核Cores	25	9.2%	4	9.3%	0	0	1	12.5%	0	0	30	8.3%
石器Retouched tools	34	12.5%	5	11.6%	1	8.3%	1	12.5%	0	0	41	11.7%
打击类Pounded pieces											2	0.6%
石锤Hammerstones	1	0.4%	1	2.3%	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.6%
天然类Unmodified pieces											13	3.7%
砾石Cobbles	2	0.7%	1	2.3%	1	8.3%	0	0	0	0	3	0.9%
岩块Blocks	8	2.9%	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	15.4%	10	2.9%
总计Total	273	78.2%	43	12.3%	12	3.4%	8	2.3%	13	3.7%	349	100%

大小与质量Size & Mass→ 石制品类型Types↓	最大长Length (mm)				质量Mass (g)
大小与质量Size & Mass→ 石制品类型Types↓	最小值Min	最大值Max	平均值Mean	SD	最小值Min	最大值Max	平均值Mean	SD
石核Cores(n=30)	28.4	133.5	68.2	24.5	11.1	896.2	219.7	221.2
石器Retouched tools(n=41)	8.8	85.2	38.2	18.2	0.4	166.4	33.4	37.1
完整石片Whole flakes(n=159)	13.3	81.9	32.6	13.4	1	123.6	15.6	20.6
碎片Flake fragments(n=30)	13.6	50.6	23.8	8.3	0.3	27.6	3.8	5.4
断块Chunks(n=74)	12.9	78.7	36.4	15.8	0.5	136	22.5	28
石锤Hammerstones(n=2)	66.4	80.5	73.5	9.9	185.9	252.2	219.1	46.9

大小与质量Size & Mass→ 石制品类型Types↓	最大长Length (mm)				质量Mass (g)
大小与质量Size & Mass→ 石制品类型Types↓	最小值Min	最大值Max	平均值Mean	SD	最小值Min	最大值Max	平均值Mean	SD
石核Cores(n=30)	28.4	133.5	68.2	24.5	11.1	896.2	219.7	221.2
石器Retouched tools(n=41)	8.8	85.2	38.2	18.2	0.4	166.4	33.4	37.1
完整石片Whole flakes(n=159)	13.3	81.9	32.6	13.4	1	123.6	15.6	20.6
碎片Flake fragments(n=30)	13.6	50.6	23.8	8.3	0.3	27.6	3.8	5.4
断块Chunks(n=74)	12.9	78.7	36.4	15.8	0.5	136	22.5	28
石锤Hammerstones(n=2)	66.4	80.5	73.5	9.9	185.9	252.2	219.1	46.9