Abstract:

The Hualongdong (HLD) site (latitude 30°06′34.1′′N, longitude 116°56′54.2′′E, 40 m above sea level) is located in Dongzhi County, Anhui Province, China. It was initially discovered in 1988, the excavations at the site in 2006, and from 2014 to 2024 resulted in the discovery of more than 20 individual human fossils, an abundance of lithic artifacts and mammalian fauna. The original cave deposits was about 20 m higher above its current location. Synsedimentary dismantlement, downward slippage, and bedrock weathering are indicated by the brecciated arrangement of the limestone rock blocks, cemented angular, subangular clasts and archaeological remains within the excavation area. Uranium-Thorium dating of speleothems and animal teeth from the brecciated deposits indicated that early human occupied the site most probably took place in the late Middle Pleistocene, ca. 300 ka (270~330 ka). This paper presents the lithic technology and the adapted behaviors adopted by humans at the site.

The Hualongdong lithic assemblage consists of 322 artifacts which can be divided into Detatched pieces [flakes (N=79; 24.6%), debitage shatters (N=96; 29.8%), bipolar elements (N=45; 14.0%)], Flaked pieces [cores (N=65, 20.2%), core fragments (N=4; 0.3%), bipolar cores (N=2; 0.6%), retouched pieces (N=22; 6.8%)] and Pounded pieces (8 hammerstones and 1 anvil). Lithic raw material includes quartz/quartzite and lava show fluvial cortex and suggests sourcing from streams, while chert nodules and some quartz rock block derive from the outcrop of chert and quartz -bearing bed in bands within siliceous carbonate-clastic strata formation in the surrounding landscape. Quartz is the predominant (87.9%) rock type. Technologically, cores, debitage shatter, and bipolar elements from HLD indicate that freehand percussion was the major knapping technique, while the use of hammer-and-anvil technique is the complementary technique to knap cobble and low-quality quartz. HLD reduction sequences are relatively short, non-organized and without core preparation, resulting in a low degree of standardization in flake morphologies and dimensions. Albeit scarce, retouched pieces are present in HLD lithic assemblage, with an average proportion of 6.8%. Retouch is normally on flakes or flake fragments even cobbles. Scraper dominants the tool type, followed by chopper, denticulate, notch and point. Retouch is casual in HLD assemblages, with no imposition of standardized shapes on blanks. The HLD lithic assemblage can be assigned to Oldowan-like or Mode 1 technology in east Asia as characterized by a simple technological design, low degree of standardization, expedient flaking, and a few non-standardized retouched flakes.

All in all, the HLD core and flake technology includes bipolar flaking of low-quality quartz rock block and cobbles, and freehand flaking of chert, lava and quartz block fragments, which demonstrate knappers intentionally selected good-quality raw materials to manufacture small flakes and use them for some function. Most chert and relatively good quality of quartz flakes show use wear, probably associated with carcass processing given the presence of cutmarks on some bones. Furthermore, it can be inferred that the general feature of HLD toolkits were expediently made for the function of getting food from animal resources and the knapping strategy was adapted to the local resources in the HLD archaeological landscape.

Key words: Hualongdong site, stone artifact, mode 1 technology, technical flexibility, Middle Pleistocene