Lithic technology of ancient hominins of the Guanshan site in Shuiyangjiang River Basin, Anhui Province

doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0086

Abstract

Abstract:

The Guanshan site is located in the Shuiyangjiang River Basin, Ningguo City, and was confirmed in 1987. Guanshan site is near another famous site, Maozhushan, where a pebble semicircle was recovered and believed by researchers to be an artificial structure. Two further excavations were conducted in 1993 and 1996 by the Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Relics of Anhui Province. A total of two hundred and twenty-two lithics were discovered on the surface and in the red clay deposit from a two-hundred-square-meter digging area. The raw materials of these lithics were mainly nearby quartzite river cobbles and quartz was less common. Most of the stone artifacts were medium to large in size. The assemblages of stone artifacts included cores, flakes, chunks, utilized materials, and stone tools. The majority of core platforms had cortex, and chopper cores were predominant. The situation is similar to the whole flakes, whose natural platforms were also predominant. All of the tools were large size and heavy-duty scrapers, choppers and picks were more common. There were also a few knives manufactured from large flakes. Most of the lithics were produced by stone hammer free-hand percussion, although bipolar products also existed. According to the stone artifacts buried in the homogeneous red clay and vermiculated red clay, it is reasonable to anticipate that early humans occupied the site during the Middle Pleistocene. Although the OSL dating work was also conducted at this site, unfortunately there was still no result because of lacking proper testing specimens. Several large flakes detached from large cores and some Acheulean large cutting tools especially picks were recognized at the site. The situation is somewhat similar to other Middle Pleistocene sites that are also buried in the Shuiyangjiang River Basin. All of these sites exhibited characteristics resembling Acheulean-like technology. The research also bears great significance for studying the diffusion and variation of Acheulean technology in China.

Key words: Shuiyangjiang River Basin, Guanshan site, large cutting tools, Acheulean, Middle Pleistocene

CLC Number:

K871

DONG Zhe, ZHAN Shijia. Lithic technology of ancient hominins of the Guanshan site in Shuiyangjiang River Basin, Anhui Province[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2026, 45(05): 851-860.

Figures/Tables 6

References 38

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来源Sourcing→	调查采集Surface collection		发掘出土Excavation
类型Categories↓	数量Quantity(n)	百分比Percent	数量Quantity(n)	百分比Percent
石核Cores	52	63.4%	63	45.0%
石片Flakes	3	3.7%	45	32.2%
断块Chunks	/	/	15	10.7%
直接使用标本Utilized materials	/	/	1	0.7%
大型石刀Knives	1	1.2%	2	1.4%
手镐Picks	17	20.7%	4	2.9%
刮削器Scrapers	2	2.5%	5	3.6%
砍砸器Choppers	7	8.5%	3	2.1%
砸击品Bipolarproducts	/	/	2	1.4%
总计Total	82	100%	140	100%

来源Sourcing→	调查采集Surface collection		发掘出土Excavation
类型Categories↓	数量Quantity(n)	百分比Percent	数量Quantity(n)	百分比Percent
石核Cores	52	63.4%	63	45.0%
石片Flakes	3	3.7%	45	32.2%
断块Chunks	/	/	15	10.7%
直接使用标本Utilized materials	/	/	1	0.7%
大型石刀Knives	1	1.2%	2	1.4%
手镐Picks	17	20.7%	4	2.9%
刮削器Scrapers	2	2.5%	5	3.6%
砍砸器Choppers	7	8.5%	3	2.1%
砸击品Bipolarproducts	/	/	2	1.4%
总计Total	82	100%	140	100%

尺寸Size→	2~5 cm		5~10 cm		≥10 cm
技术组合Assemblages↓	数量n	百分比Percent	数量n	百分比Percent	数量n	百分比Percent
石核Cores	/	/	24	10.8%	91	41.0%
石片Flakes	14	6.3%	26	11.7%	8	3.6%
断块Chunks	1	0.45%	11	5.0%	3	1.35%
直接使用标本Utilized materials	/	/	/	/	1	0.45%
大型石刀Knives	/	/	/	/	3	1.35%
手镐Picks	/	/	/	/	21	9.45%
刮削器Scrapers	1	0.45%	4	1.8%	2	0.9%
砍砸器Choppers	/	/	/	/	10	4.5%
砸击品Bipolar products	2	0.9%	/	/	/	/
合计Total	18	8.1%	65	29.3%	139	62.6%

尺寸Size→	2~5 cm		5~10 cm		≥10 cm
技术组合Assemblages↓	数量n	百分比Percent	数量n	百分比Percent	数量n	百分比Percent
石核Cores	/	/	24	10.8%	91	41.0%
石片Flakes	14	6.3%	26	11.7%	8	3.6%
断块Chunks	1	0.45%	11	5.0%	3	1.35%
直接使用标本Utilized materials	/	/	/	/	1	0.45%
大型石刀Knives	/	/	/	/	3	1.35%
手镐Picks	/	/	/	/	21	9.45%
刮削器Scrapers	1	0.45%	4	1.8%	2	0.9%
砍砸器Choppers	/	/	/	/	10	4.5%
砸击品Bipolar products	2	0.9%	/	/	/	/
合计Total	18	8.1%	65	29.3%	139	62.6%