Burins are one of the stone tool types that emerged in the late Paleolithic Age. In numerous European archaeological sites, burins are found in large quantities and constitute a significant proportion of the total number of stone tools at the same site. In contrast, the number of burins discovered in Chinese sites is generally small. The Xiachuan site, an important late Paleolithic site in China, was unearthed in the 1970s. After years of investigation, excavation, and specimen sorting, dozens of characteristic burins have been identified. Both domestic and international scholars have carried out multiple rounds of typological research on these specimens.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, several scholars have conducted a series of micro-trace observations and experimental studies on burins from several Chinese sites. These efforts have introduced a new approach to the study of Chinese burins.
In this paper, typical specimens of Xiachuan burins were selected for micro-trace observation. Subsequently, flint samples, identical to those used in the production of Xiachuan burins, were collected as experimental materials. In combination with environmental archaeology research, wood and bone/horn materials were also gathered for relevant experimental archaeological studies. Experimental designs for stone tool production and use were carried out, covering four categories: scraping, carving, drilling, and hafting. During the experiments, the process of stone tool use and the changes in the stone tools themselves were carefully observed and recorded to analyze the manufacturing and utilization methods of Xiachuan burins.
By comparing the observation results of relic traces, it is proposed that the main areas of use for Xiachuan burins are the lateral edge and the tip of the burin. The application methods are scraping and carving, respectively. The processing materials include soft materials like branches and hard materials such as bone and horn. The purpose of use is to scrape the material surface to achieve smoothness or create notch grooves for wedge - splitting or inlaying in subsequent processing. Meanwhile, no obvious traces of drilling use were detected, and the use method was likely hand - held rather than hafted.
This study adopts a new approach to fill the gaps in previous research on Xiachuan burins, enabling a better understanding of the production and use processes of these tools. It provides data support for further exploration of the use functions of Chinese burins, which are representative of the late Paleolithic sites in Northeast and North China..