1999 Volume 6 Issue 8 Pages 11-17
This contribution is a report on the most recent archaeological findings for the Early and Middle Paleolithic periods of China, to which a few observations are added by the author. Its contents can be summarized under the following three points.
1.The most significant recent finding for the Lower Paleolithic, based on paleomagnetic dating and other methods, is the discovery of sites dating to the Olduvai event of normal polarity, or about 1.8 million years ago, or perhaps even earlier. These are the Renzidong Cave Site in Anhui (2-2.4 million years ago), the Longgupo Site in Chongqing, and the Xiaochangliang Site in Hebei. The period 1.8 million years ago is the time of the emergence of homo erectus in east Africa, and the age estimated for the Renzidong parallels the stage of Homo habilis. Such an age for the site would thus be at odds with the main theories held worldwide in anthropology and archaeology, but if this is indeed the case, then we may see new theories advanced, such as suggestions that the time for the dispersal of early man to Eurasia must be pushed back, or that perhaps the principal figure in this dispersal was Homo habilis.
2.The Movius Line, proposed fifty years ago by Hallam Movius Jr. as dividing the ancient land mass of the Lower Paleolithic into "handaxe" versus "chopper-chopping tool" regions, does not exist. The latter cultural sphere, to which Asia was held to belong, was supposedly backward in cultural development because of the lack of stimulus provided humankind by the meagre climatic change. With advances in archaeological and quarternary research, however, it has become clear that climatic change in Asia was as severe as in other regions, and that handaxes and cleavers were also present in Asia.
3.The period from approximately 260, 000 to 30, 000 years ago in China is best thought of as the Middle Paleolithic, which preceded the emergence of fully-developed blade and microblade techniques. The start of this period corresponds to the latter third of the Middle Pleistocene. As cultural characteristics of this period, the influence of late Acheulean culture can be seen in the tool kits at the Dingcun Sites and elsewhere, that of the Levallois technique at the Panxian Dadong Site, and that of the Levallois technique together with the blade technique of early Aurignacian culuture at the Shuidongguo Site. In this manner it can be seen that in the Middle Paleolithic period there was already a movement of peoples and culture between the eastern and western parts of Eurasia.
