Preliminary study on the living environment of hominids at the Donggutuo site, Nihewan Basin

The Donggutuo site, situated in the east margin of Nihewan basin, is one of the most important Paleolithic sites in China, characterized by the longest excavation seasons and the most abundant cultural remains recovered in the region. Based on well-constructed sporopollen, sediment grain size analysis, magnetic susceptibility, and iron oxide analysis of the 2000--2001 excavated section, four stages of environmental change in the Nihewan Beds are identified by the authors. The results indicate four major stages of environment and climate change from 1） warm and humid forest grass to 2） temperate and humid forest grass to 3） temperate and dry forest grass to 4） warm and humid forest, which is suitable for hominid occupation. The changes correspond to the stages of lake transgression and regression. The environment after the lake died out away has been cold and dry boschveld. The hominid activities at the site took place in the Early Pleistocene （1.10 Ma）, which corresponds to the early three environmental stages. Therefore, it can be inferred that the early hominids adapted to the relatively low lake level episodes through activities involving sporadic stone tool making, procuring of raw materials for tools, concentrating stone artifacts, and hunting and butchering. In conclusion, the results will be of great significance to research regarding the relationship between hominid occupation and environmental changes as well as the adaptive behaviors of early humans at the Donggutuo site.     

Mode of débitage and technical cognition of hominids at the Guanyindong site

Exploring and interpreting the mode of cognition and behavioral patterns of prehistoric hunter-gatherers is always one of the main goals of current Paleolithic research. In the 1940s, French prehistorians proposed the technological method for studying lithic assemblages which opened a brand-new perspective on the prehistoric domain. In the 1960s, French ethnographer and anthropologist Andre Leroi-Gourhan proposed the concept ＂chaine operatoire＂ and established the theory of lithic technological study. After the 1980s, the concept ＂chaine operatoire＂ was substituted for two different but complementary concepts： techno-cognition and techno-economy, which contributed not only to revealing the technical knowledge and know-how applied during lithic production but also to interpreting the technical behavior of prehistoric hunter-gatherers from social and economic viewpoints. The lithic technological study of the Guanyindong site, presented in this paper, was carried out for the first time by applying lithic technological method developed by French prehistorians to the Chinese materials. Our analytical results demonstrated that the debitage system of Guanyindong is quite distinct from the concept Levallois largely used in Europe, Near-East and Africa. The differentiation between these two debitage modes may contribute to exploring and interpreting the relationship in Middle Paleolithic between China and Europe, Near-East and Africa.     

Archaeological study of ostrich eggshell beads collected from SDG site

Ostrich eggshell beads and fragments collected from SDG site reflect primordial art and a kind of symbolic behavior of modern humans. Based on stratigraphic data and OSL dating, these ostrich eggshell beads are probably in Early Holocene （〈 10 ka BP）o Two different prehistoric manufacturing pathways are usually used in the manufacture of ostrich eggshell beads in Upper Paleolithic. Accord- ing to statistic analysis of the characteristics of ostrich eggshell beads, Pathway 1 is identified from these collections. In pathway 1, blanks are drilled prior to being trimmed to rough discs. They exhibit great potential for the study of the origin of primordial art and the development of ancient cultures and provide important data for studying behavioral options adopted by hominids in SDG area. In addition, they bear important implications for the origin of modern humans in East Asia.     

绵延右江 千姿百色

百色市右江区位于广西壮族自治区西部、珠江流域西江水系的右江上游。右江区历史悠久，有距今约80万年的百谷、枫树岛旧石器时代遗址。古为百越之地，秦、汉时属象郡，唐时属邕州都督府管辖，元时称天州。最早建制是公元1729年（雍正七年）设置的百色厅，次年建城：1875年（光绪元年）升为百色直隶厅，1912年改为百色府；建城至今已有280多年的历史。     

人类文明的咸滋味

存人类的文明史上，盐曾经是那样的不町或缺,它与土壤、空气一起，构成人类生存的五大要素，并直接促进民人类文明的进程。你知道人是怎样开始吃盐的吗？人类历史发展的第一阶段，是以百万年计的旧石器时代。维系生存繁衍的生活方式，是采集与狩猎，远古先民处于“食草木之食，鸟兽之肉，饮其血，茹其毛”的蒙昧时代，尚不知何为成味，亦不知盐为何物。而被喻为“绿色革命”的农耕时代似乎是突然到来的，     

动物一样可以学习和创造

创造力是人类诞生以来最古老、最骄傲的特征之一。从旧石器时代开始，人类便充当起世界改造者的角色。但是，动物们呢——它们有创造力吗？它们有自己的文化吗？为什么动物要努力地改变其身处的环境？科学家发现了这种创造力的根源。     

灵井动物群的埋藏学分析及中国北方旧石器时代中期狩猎-屠宰遗址的首次记录

河南灵井许昌人遗址2005~2006年发掘出土了上万件动物化石与古人类文化遗物.埋藏学分析表明了古人类在这一动物群聚集、改造过程中的主导性地位.基于动物属种分布及丰度、死亡年龄模式、骨骼表面改造痕迹与骨骼单元分布等动物群特点,并结合生态环境等方面的证据,灵井许昌人遗址被解释为旧石器时代中期的一处狩猎-屠宰遗址而非古人类的居址或中心营地.这一遗址中数量较多的人工石制品的出现,可能反映了古人类在生存策略和行为活动方面的计划性和前瞻性.灵井许昌人遗址是迄今为止中国北方旧石器时代中期唯一一处经过系统埋藏学分析确认的狩猎-屠宰类考古遗址.     

物联网时代的信息产业

人类社会生产技术发展的历史,经历了农牧业、工业、信息产业三个大的阶段。数千年前的农牧业技术革命,使人类的经济由旧石器时代以采集、狩猎为基础的攫取性经济转变为以农业、畜牧业为基础的生产性经济;始于18世纪60年代的工业技术革命,开创了机器生产取代手工劳动的新时代．生产力水平得到极大提高。社会物质财富迅速增加;始于几十年前的信息产业革命大潮,将人类大脑的智力延伸、拓展,使现代文明进入一个崭新的时代。     

泰安宁阳虎城史前遗址石器技术研究

泰安宁阳虎城遗址采集石制品加工技术简单、实用,符合华北地区小石器技术传统,这些发现证明宁阳县至少存在两个旧石器文化阶段,既扩大了宁阳县旧石器时代遗存的分布范围,也丰富了山东省细石器遗存的文化内涵,此发现揭示了我国旧石器文化的传承与连续,一定意义上也表明东亚地区人类的演化链条似乎从未中断。