Luminescence dating of the Donggou site in the Yuxian Basin of Hebei
Received date: 2024-12-05
Accepted date: 2025-04-06
Online published: 2026-06-12
The Nihewan Basin is a pivotal region for investigating the evolutionary trajectory and cultural development of prehistoric human populations in China. The Donggou site, located in the Yuxian Basin, which is a sub-basin of the Nihewan Basin, is a significant Paleolithic site. The site had been excavated twice in 2017 and 2018. The excavation yielded abundant stone tools and animal fossils, with the stone tool industry belonging to the traditional flake tool industry of North China. The discovery and excavation of the Donggou site have provided rich materials for constructing the Paleolithic cultural sequence of the Yuxian Basin and the Nihewan Basin.
The sediments profile of this site is divided into seven layers: Layer 7 is fluvial channel deposits of coarse sand and gravel, Layers 6~3 are floodplain silt, Layer 2 is aeolian loess, and Layer 1 is disturbed modern soil from bottom to top. The cultural layer is Layer 5. Previous studies have shown that the age of the site exceeds the upper limit of radiocarbon dating. To determine the site's age, a total of twelve samples were collected from layers 6 to 2 for luminescence dating. The samples were dated using the multiple elevated temperatures (MET) post infrared (pIR) infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) (MET-pIRIR) procedure on both multi-grained single aliquots and single grains of potassium-rich feldspars (K-feldspars). Bayesian modeling was used to simulate the determined ages and establish a chronological sequence framework for the site profile. The dating results indicate that Layer 6 is approximately deposited between 126.1~98.4 kaBP, roughly corresponding to Marine Isotope Stage, MIS-5e~MIS-5c phases. The depositional age of Layer 5 is about 75.9~73.6 kaBP, roughly corresponding to the terminal phase of MIS-5a. The depositional age of Layer 4 is about 73.6~72.6 kaBP, Layer 3 is about 72.6~71.5 kaBP, and Layer 2 is about 71.5~70.1 kaBP. Layers 4~2 roughly correspond to the initial phase of MIS-4. The deposition rates are 0.03, 0.7, 3.30, 4.27, and 0.93 m/ka for Layer 6 to Layer 2. The variation in the deposition rates for each layer is mainly due to climate change from wet to dry.
The dating results indicate that the accumulation of the cultural layer occurred between 76~74 kaBP, corresponding to the late stage of MIS-5a, which places it within the Middle Paleolithic. The Donggou site provides new archaeological materials and evidence for the study of the development of stone tool technology and the survival strategies of ancient humans during the Middle Paleolithic in northern China.
Key words： Yuxian Basin; Donggou site; MET-pIRIR; Middle Paleolithic
HUANG Bingrou , NIU Dongwei , PEI Shuwen , GUO Yujie . Luminescence dating of the Donggou site in the Yuxian Basin of Hebei[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2026 , 45(03) : 543 -555 . DOI: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0050
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