Acta Anthropologica Sinica ›› 1986, Vol. 5 ›› Issue (04): 336-345.

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Discovery of Paleolithic artifacts from Xiaozhan site in Datong city, Shanxi province

Li Chaorong, Xie Tingqi, Hu Ping   

  • Online:1986-12-15 Published:1986-12-15

Abstract: The Xiaozhan site was found in 1982 and a test excavation was taken in 1984. The site (40°6'15N, 113°12'50E) is situated in the suburbs, about 6 km away from Datong city in Shanxi Provice.
Forty pieces of stone artifacts were unearthed from the deluvium between the hind margin of the second terrace and the front margin of the third terrace, and 392 pieces were collected from the earth surface. The stone artifacts include cores, flakes and tools. The tools may be divided into four types: scrapers, points, burins and bores. The scrapers include single edged scIaper, double edged scraper, end scraper, disk scraper, high backed scraper and short round end scraper (thumbnail-shaped scraper) etc. It is worthy of notice that disk scraper, high backed scraper, short round end scraper and chiseled point are similar to those from Xujiayao and Shiyu sites and have much to do with paieolith in North China. According to the study of stratigraphy and stone artifacts, the age of Xiaozhan site probably belongs to upper pleistocene or late paleolithic.

Key words: Paleolith; Upper Pleistocene