New evidence for a 30–10 ka lithic assemblage at Jianshan Cave, Guangxi, South China

Abstract

In South China, the terminal Pleistocene to early Holocene marks a crucial period of substantial changes in lithic technologies. However, due to a limited number of well-studied sites, the nature of lithic industries in some key geographic areas of South China remains unclear. This paper presents the technological analysis of the first reported Paleolithic site, Jianshan Cave, in the eastern part of Guangxi, South China. AMS ¹⁴C dating of this site indicates a terminal Pleistocene to early Holocene age range (26000–10,000 cal. a BP). Technologically, the stone artifacts at this site were produced from low-quality and near-source raw materials, such as sandstone and igneous rock. The assemblage shows evidence of both direct hard hammer and bipolar percussion methods, but the cores are notably simple. Tool production is also simple and lacks regularity, with roughly retouched choppers and scrapers dominating the tool assemblage. Overall, the lithic technology at this site exhibits a strong sense of simplicity and expediency. Contrary to evidence from other South China sites, such simplicity and expediency have not been commonly observed during this period. Comparisons with contemporaneous sites reveal that the Jianshan lithic assemblage does not neatly conform to a specific cultural type, reinforcing the idea that significant complexity and variability existed among Late Paleolithic sites in southern China.