The Paleolithic in the Nihewan Basin, China: Evolutionary history of an Early to Late Pleistocene record in Eastern Asia.
Evol Anthropol
; 29(3): 125-142, 2020 May.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31859441
ABSTRACT
The Nihewan Basin of China preserves one of the most important successions of Paleolithic archeological sites in Eurasia. Stratified archeological sites and mammalian fossils, first reported in the 1920s, continue to be recovered in large-scale excavation projects. Here, we review key findings from archeological excavations in the Nihewan Basin ranging from ~1.66 Ma to 11.7 ka. We place particular emphasis on changes in stone tool technology over the long term. Though Pleistocene lithic industries from East Asia are often described as simple in character, re-evaluation of the stone tool evidence from the Nihewan Basin demonstrates significant, though periodic, innovations and variability in manufacturing techniques through time, indicating adaptive and technological flexibility on the part of hominins. Synthesis of paleoenvironmental and archeological data indicate changes in hominin occupation frequency in the Nihewan Basin, with chronological gaps suggesting that continuous presence in high, seasonal latitudes was not possible prior to the Late Pleistocene.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Arqueología
/
Tecnología
/
Hominidae
/
Evolución Cultural
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Evol Anthropol
Año:
2020
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
China