Abstract:

Recent discoveries of Upper Paleolithic sites across southern China featuring miniaturized lithic assemblages have led to a growing recognition that this trend may represent a significant technological innovation with important evolutionary implications. However, scholarly discussion on the subject remains limited, and consensus has yet to emerge regarding its occurrence time and specific technological characteristics. To address these gaps, this study begins by clarifying the conceptual distinctions between “miniaturized lithic” in southern China and “small stone tool” in the northern region, next systematically reviews key sites in southern China that exhibit lithic miniaturization, and finally focuses on the timing of its appearance, technological features, and adaptive strategies.

Findings indicate that lithic miniaturizatiwon first emerged around 40,000 years before present during late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, observed in cave sites throughout Lingnan and Southwest China, such as Yahuai Cave, Fengyan Cave, and Zhaoguodong Cave. By approximately 30,000 years before present, amid the climatic transition from MIS 3 to MIS 2, the technological phenomenon had become widespread around Poyang Lake, with key sites including Shanghu Site and Xianrendong-Diaotonghuan Cave.

Technologically, these miniaturized lithic assemblages found across southern China exhibit far more commonalities than regional variations, maintaining a remarkable evolutionary continuity over tens of millennia. Key features of the miniaturized lithic assemblages include a pronounced preference for siliceous raw materials such as chert and quartz, the systematic production of miniaturized size of stone artifacts, the widespread adoption of bipolar flaking techniques, and the occasional presence of backed tools. These shared technological traits, though seemingly ordinary, display notable parallels with lithic technologies found in broader geographic regions, such as Southeast Asia and South Asia. This, on the one hand, indicates that the lithic miniaturization in southern China might be an integral part of the global process of lithic miniaturization in the late Pleistocene period. On the other hand, it also underscores the need for a wider comparative framework in future research to better understand technological connections and potential population interactions across these regions.

The extensive occurrence of miniaturized lithic assemblages and the associated minialithic technocomplex during Upper Paleolithic in southern China reflects a survival strategy adopted by the population to cope with the high mobility of hunting activities. Essentially, it is the product of multi-dimensional technological integration, reflecting the comprehensive assessment by hunting group of variables such as the texture of raw materials, the efficiency of tool production and use, and the maintenance costs.

Key words: Southern China, Upper Paleolithic, lithic miniaturization, siliceous rock, bipolar technology