Abstract: Yuzui Paleolithic Locality 2 is located in the back part of the second terrace, north bank of Middle Hanjiang River, which geographically interconnects with South and North China. This excavation unearthed 334 lithic artifacts in an area of 500 square meters. Water-polishing and an unbalanced representation of different types suggest that there was water transportation. Most of the lithic materials distributed along a belt of gravels, which have the optimal size for the manufacture of choppers and chopping tools. The lithic assemblage includes large tools such as choppers (22 pieces), picks (2 pieces), and cleavers (2 pieces) as well as small quartz scrapers (8 pieces) an points (3 pieces). Raw materials analysis indicates that ancient huntergatherers knew the properties of different materials and used them to make different stone tools. Quartz was used to manufacture scrapers and points, while hornfels were used for choppers. Experimental research supports the idea that choppers are a kind of expedient tool, because of a simple manufacturing procedure and apparent lack of strategy in the choice of raw materials. Chert gravels are found near the site and in the layer in which lithic materials were discovered, this raw material was not utilized by ancient hunter-gatherers. Picks are an interesting multifunctional tools with an intentionally retouched point and an edge for chopping. Since there is lack of suitable materials for dating, most sites set their dates according to their position on terraces. That is, the higher terrace, the older the sites. In fact, even on the same terrace, there are sites with several cultural layers, which means ancient people of different periods left lithic materials. A dozen Paleolithic sites around the Danjiangkou reservoir were analyzed in terms of geographical position, altitude, and lithic assemblage. Now we can assuredly know that there are two types of lithic industries in the area. One is earlier, characterized by chopper and chopping tools including picks, proto-handaxes, and cleavers, the other is later, characterized by small flake tools mostly made of quartz. This evidence coincides with lithic industries from the Middle and Lower Yangzi valley. In the Danjiangkou area, the small flake industry probably belongs to the Upper Paleolithic, and the former in the Early Paleolithic. As there is not an obvious phase of Middle Paleolithic, the two-period scheme is adopted to define the dates of those sites. The date of Yuzui Locality 2 is known not earlier than the date of the second terrace of Hanjiang River, most likely in the later stage of the Early Paleolithic.

Key words: Yuzui, Stone artifact, Early Paleolithic