Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Newly discovered Palaeolithic artefacts from loess deposits and their ages in Lantian, central China

  • Article
  • Geology
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

Eight new Palaeolithic open-air sites were identified and 770 stone artefacts were collected from 2009 to 2011 in the Lantian area of the Bahe River valley, central China. Because the famous Homo erectus fossils were unearthed at the Gongwangling and Chenjiawo localities, and more than 30 Palaeolithic open-air sites were investigated in the 1960s in this region, the catchment of Bahe River is regarded as one of the most important hominin sites from the late early Pleistocene to the middle Pleistocene. These eight newly discovered open-air sites are located at the second (n = 6), third (n = 1) or higher terraces (n = 1) of the Bahe River. The Diaozhai section on the second terrace was sampled in detail. Two samples were collected for optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL). The OSL results suggest that a buried lithic artefact layer at the Diaozhai site spans approximately 70–30 ka. The lithic assemblage analysis suggests that the stone artefacts were made of local pebbles/cobbles such as greywacke, quartz, sandstone and igneous rocks. The main percussion techniques that were used were direct hard hammer percussion and bi-polar techniques. The lithic artefacts comprise hammer stones, cores, flakes, retouched tools and flaking debris. Acheulian-type large cutting tools (LCTs) such as hand-axes, picks and cleavers were indentified in the Lantian region as well. This is the first time Acheulian-type LCTs from the late Pleistocene have been identified in this region. This study distinguishes age gaps between Western world and East Asian Acheulian-type tools.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dai EJ, Ji HX (1964) Discovery of Palaeolithics at Lantian, Shensi. Vert PalAs 8:152–161 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Dai EJ (1966) The Palaeolithic found at Lantian man locality of Gongwangling and its vicinity. Vert PalAs 10:30–32 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dai EJ, Xu CH (1973) New finds of Palaeolithic from Lantian. Acta Anthropol Sin 2:1–12 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Dai EJ (1985) The bifaces of the Old World and the ancient cultural tradition of the orient. Acta Anthropol Sin 4:215–222 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Wu RK (1964) Mandible of the Sinanthropus-type discovered at Lantian, Shensi. Vert PalAs 8:1–17 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Wu RK (1966) The hominid skull of Lantian, Shensi. Vert PalAs 10:1–16 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Jia LP (1965) The discovery and stratigraphical context of Lantian Homo erectus skull. Chin Sci Bull 10:477–481 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Jia LP, Gai P, Huang WW (1966) Palaeolithic at Lantian, Shensi. In: IVPP (ed) Cenozoic group in Lantian district conference proceedings. Science Press, Beijing, pp 151–156 (in Chinese)

  9. Wu XZ, Yuan ZX, Han DF et al (1966) Report of the excavation at Lantian man locality of Gongwangling in 1965. Vert PalAs 10:23–29 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Gai P, You YZ (1976) Several characters of the Palaeolithic in Lantian, Shensi. Vert PalAs 14:198–203 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  11. An ZS, Gao WY, Zhu YZ et al (1990) Magnetostratigraphic dates of Lantian Homo erectus. Acta Archaeo Sin 9:1–7 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Zhu RX, An ZS, Potts R et al (2003) Magnetostratigraphic dating of early humans in China. Earth Sci Rev 61:341–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Zhou MZ (1965) The character and age of Lantian hominid mammalian faunas. Chin Sci Bull 6:482–487 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ji HX (1980) The subdivision of quaternary mammalian faunas of Lantian district, Shaanxi. Vert PalAs 18:220–228 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Wei JW (1977) Newly discovered Palaeolithic in Lantian Man site. Vert PalAs 15:223–224 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Zhang SS (1989) The early Palaeolithic of north china. In: Wu RK, Wu XZ, Zhang SS (eds) Early humankind in China. Science Press, Beijing, pp 97–158 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Zhang SS (2003) Some questions about the Palaeolithic archaeology in Shaanxi. In: Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology (ed) Prehistorical archaeology of China―proceedings of the celebration of the 80th birthday and 50 anniversary of archaeological research. Sanqin Press, Xi’an, pp 45–85 (in Chinese)

  18. Huang CC (1983) The discovery and implication of Xishuidong Palaeolithic site in Lantian area, Shaanxi. Chin Sci Bull 28:241–244 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Jia LP, Zhang YP, Huang WB et al (1966) Cenozoic group in Lantian, Shaanxi. In: IVPP (ed) Cenozoic group in Lantian district conference proceedings. Science Press, Beijing, pp 1–31 (in Chinese)

  20. Wang NL, Cao JX, Qian ZL (1966) The landform and its development history of middle Bahe River in Lantian Area, Shaanxi. In: IVPP (ed) Cenozoic group in Lantian district conference proceedings. Science Press, Beijing, pp 75–88 (in Chinese)

  21. Porter SC, An ZS, Zheng HB (1992) Cyclic Quaternary alluviation and terracing in a nonglaciated drainage basin on the north flank of the Qinling Shan, central China. Quat Res 38:157–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Murray AS, Wintle AG (2000) Luminescence dating of quartz using an improved single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol. Radiat Meas 32:57–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Aitken MJ (1998) An introduction to optical dating. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 7–47

    Google Scholar 

  24. Lu HY, Liu XD, Zhang FQ et al (1999) Astronomical calibration of loess–paleosol deposits at Luochuan, central Chinese Loess Plateau. Paleogeogr Paleoclimatol Paleoecol 154:237–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Lu HY, Stevens T, Yi SW et al (2006) The erosion event of the loess plateau 15–10 ka ago revealed by high sampling resolution OSL dating. Chin Sci Bull 51:2767–2771

    Google Scholar 

  26. Wang SJ (2007) Huashilang (I)—the Palaeolithic open-air sites in the Luonan Basin, China. Science Press, Beijing, pp 1–250

    Google Scholar 

  27. Wang SJ (2005) Perspectives on hominid behaviour and settlement patterns: a study of the Lower Palaeolithic sites in the Luonan Basin, China. Archaeo press, Oxford, pp 1–248

    Google Scholar 

  28. Wang SJ (1990–1991) An experimental study of the large lithic artefacts of Xiaokongshan site. Prehist Res 245–259 (in Chinese)

  29. Shen C, Wang SJ (2001) A preliminary study of the anvil-chipping technique: experiments and evaluations. Lithic Technol 25:81–100

    Google Scholar 

  30. Wang SJ, Zhang XB, Lu HY et al (2011) The excavations of Mengwa and Zhanghuokou sites in the Luonan Basin, Shaanxi. In: State Administration of Cultural Heritage (ed) The important archaeological discoveries in China. Cultural Relics Press, Beijing, pp 6–8 (in Chinese)

  31. Lu HY, Zhang HY, Wang SJ et al (2007) A preliminary survey on loess deposit in eastern Qinling Mountains (central China) and its implication for estimating age of the Pleistocene lithic artefacts. Quat Sci 27:559–567 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Lu HY, Zhang HY, Sun XF et al (2012) Landforms, loess deposit and paleoenvironmental changes in the South Luohe river (central China) during the hominine occupations. Quat Sci 32:167–177 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Lu HY, Sun XF, Wang SJ et al (2011) Ages for hominid occupation in Lushi Basin, middle of South Luohe River, central China. J Hum Evol 60:612–617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Lu HY, Zhang HY, Wang SJ et al (2011) Multiphase timing of hominin occupations and the paleoenvironment in Luonan Basin, central China. Quat Res 76:142–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Sun XF, Lu HY, Wang SJ et al (2012) Ages of Liangshan Palaeolithic sites in Hanzhong Basin, central China. Quat Geochronol 10:380–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Sun XF, Lu HY, Wang SJ et al (2013) TT-OSL dating of Longyadong Middle Palaeolithic site and palaeoenvironmental implications for hominine occupation in Luonan Basin (central China). Quat Res 79:168–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Lepre CJ, Roche H, Kent DV et al (2011) An earlier origin for the Acheulian. Nature 477:82–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Beyene Y, Katoh S, Wolde G et al (2013) The characteristics and chronology of the earliest Acheulian at Konso, Ethiopia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110:1584–1591

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Huang WW (1987) Bifaces in China. Acta Anthropol Sin 6:61–68 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  40. An ZZ (1990) The proto-handaxe and its tradition in China. Acta Anthropol Sin 9:311–319 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  41. Huang WW (1993) On the typology of heavy-duty tools of the Lower Palaeolithic from East and Southeast Asia—comment on the Movius’ system. Acta Anthropol Sin 12:297–304 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  42. Lin SL (1994) Restudy of nine hand-axe specimens and the applicability of Movius’ theory. Acta Anthropol Sin 13:189–208 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  43. Lü ZE (2011) A simple analysis of hand-axe. In: Life of archaeology—Festschrift of An Zhimin Editorial Committee (ed) Life of archaeology―Festschrift of An Zhimin. Cultural Relics Press, Beijing, pp 141–155 (in Chinese)

  44. Gao X (2012) Characteristics and significance of Palaeolithic hand-axes from China. Acta Anthropol Sin 31:97–112 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Jian Zhao for drawing the lithic charts and Fangying Zhu for drawing the map, thank the three anonymous reviewers and the invited review editor for their comments on the earlier draft of this paper. This work was supported by the One Hundred Talent Person Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-BR-24), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA05130201 and XDA05120704) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41072122 and 41202127).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China

    Shejiang Wang & Luda Xing

  2. School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Institute for Climate and Global Change Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Huayu Lu, Hongyan Zhang, Xuefeng Sun, Shuangwen Yi & Yingyong Chen

  3. Guizhou Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Guiyang, 550004, China

    Gaike Zhang

  4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Luda Xing

  5. Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Weigang Sun

Authors
  1. Shejiang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Huayu Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hongyan Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xuefeng Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Shuangwen Yi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yingyong Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Gaike Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Luda Xing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Weigang Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shejiang Wang.

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, S., Lu, H., Zhang, H. et al. Newly discovered Palaeolithic artefacts from loess deposits and their ages in Lantian, central China. Chin. Sci. Bull. 59, 651–661 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-013-0105-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-013-0105-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation