The Groundbreaking Discovery at Xigou Site in Central China
In the Danjiangkou Reservoir Region of Henan Province, central China, archaeologists have unearthed a treasure trove of stone artifacts that are reshaping our understanding of early human ingenuity. The Xigou site, discovered in 2017 and systematically excavated from 2019 to 2021, has yielded over 2,600 stone tools dating back as far as 160,000 years. This location, situated along the southern edge of the Qinling Mountains at the boundary between northern and southern China, served as a workshop for ancient hominins who demonstrated remarkable technological sophistication.
These findings challenge long-held assumptions about the pace of technological development in East Asia, a region previously thought to lag behind Africa and western Eurasia in innovation. Instead, the evidence points to a dynamic Paleolithic culture capable of producing small, versatile tools adapted to local environments.
Unraveling the Chronology: Advanced Dating Techniques Reveal 90,000 Years of Occupation
Determining the age of the Xigou artifacts required cutting-edge luminescence dating methods, including single-aliquot regenerative-dose optically stimulated luminescence (SAR-OSL), multiple-aliquot regenerative-dose OSL (ReOSL), and post-infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (post-IR IRSL) on quartz and polymineral fine-grains. The cultural layers (Layers 2–5) span from approximately 191,600 ± 13,300 years ago at the base to 71,900 ± 4,000 years ago at the top, covering a staggering 90,000-year period of intermittent occupation.
This timeline places the site in the late Middle Pleistocene to middle Late Pleistocene, coinciding with climatic fluctuations like Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 6–5 transitions and monsoon variability. Such precise dating underscores the site's role as a long-term hub for hominin activity, reflecting resilience amid environmental changes.
A Closer Look at the Stone Tool Assemblage: From Flakes to Large Cutting Tools
The lithic inventory at Xigou primarily consists of locally sourced quartzite and quartz, with detached pieces like flakes and debris making up 72–79% of finds. Tools, numbering in the hundreds, are predominantly retouched forms on small flakes averaging 38–46 mm in length—scrapers, borers, notches, denticulates, points, and burins. Notable are three handaxes and two picks classified as Large Cutting Tools (LCTs), rare in East Asian contexts but indicative of diverse reduction strategies.
Core reduction techniques evolved over time, from simple freehand hard-hammer percussion (FHHP) unidirectional and multidirectional cores to more advanced predetermined methods like core-on-flake (21–26%) and discoid cores. This progression highlights a shift toward efficiency, producing standardized small flakes with sharp edges for piercing, cutting, and perforating.
The Star of the Show: Evidence of Hafted or Composite Tools
Among the most revolutionary discoveries are 22 basal retouched tools (8.7% of the tool assemblage), featuring tanged, shouldered, or backed bases designed for hafting. Microwear analysis via optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and 3D digital microscopy on two tanged borers revealed clear hafting traces: linear friction marks, polish, and striations from proximal/medial insertion or lateral binding. Use-wear on tips suggests rotational boring into hard plant materials like reeds or wood.
Experimental replications confirmed these tools' functions in boring, piercing soft materials, sawing, and whittling. Hafting—attaching stone to organic handles—represents composite technology, enhancing leverage and force, and marks the earliest such evidence in East Asia by tens of thousands of years.
Photo by Kevin Olson on Unsplash
Technological Innovations and Behavioral Flexibility
The Xigou assemblage demonstrates a spectrum of strategies: expedient knapping for immediate needs alongside organized, predetermined reduction for versatile tools. Bipolar percussion supplemented main techniques, while retouching was elaborate on borers. These innovations parallel Levallois-like methods in Africa but adapted to local quartzite resources.
- Increased use of small flake tools for diverse tasks, improving precision.
- Transition from LCTs to microlith precursors post-~100 ka.
- High adaptability to subtropical-temperate ecotones, processing plant-heavy diets.
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Who Were the Makers? Unraveling the Hominin Puzzle
No hominin fossils were recovered, but the site's age aligns with diverse Late Pleistocene populations in China: Denisovans (genetic traces in modern Asians), Homo longi (Dragon Man from Harbin, ~146 ka), H. juluensis (Xujiayao/Lingjing), or archaic H. sapiens. Brain volumes of 1,200–1,800 cc suggest advanced cognition. Future DNA or fossil finds could clarify.
This ambiguity fuels debate, emphasizing East Asia's role in hominin diversity beyond the 'Out of Africa' model.
Challenging the Movius Line: Dismantling Archaic Biases
The 1940s Movius Line posited a technological divide, with 'primitive' East Asian choppers versus advanced western handaxes. Xigou shatters this, proving sophisticated hafting and prepared cores 160 ka ago. As Ben Marwick notes, this overturns the 'cultural backwater' narrative.Live Science coverage
John Shea calls the 'simple tools = simple minds' idea mythology, urging reevaluation of Asian Paleolithic records.
Implications for Human Evolution and East Asian Prehistory
Xigou signals behavioral modernity predating symbolic culture (~70–50 ka bone tools, ochre). It highlights convergence in global innovations amid isolation, aiding survival in variable climates. For East Asia, it bridges Middle Stone Age-like tech to Upper Paleolithic, redefining regional timelines.
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The Research Team: Collaborative Excellence from Chinese Institutions
Lead by Jian-Ping Yue and Shi-Xia Yang from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP, Chinese Academy of Sciences), with affiliates at University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), the team includes international experts like Michael Petraglia (Griffith University) and Ben Marwick (University of Washington). Local partners: Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology.
Published in Nature Communications, this work exemplifies Sino-global collaboration. Aspiring researchers can find roles via research assistant jobs.
Future Directions: What Lies Ahead for Xigou and Beyond
Ongoing analyses promise residues, phytoliths, and potential fossils. Expanded excavations could reveal hearths or structures. This discovery inspires new surveys in central China, potentially linking to Xiachuan or Lingjing sites. For career advice in academia, visit higher ed career advice.
- Integrate genomics for hominin ID.
- Model climate-tool correlations.
- Compare with African/Eurasian composites.
In summary, Xigou positions China at the forefront of early tech revolutions, inviting scholars to higher ed jobs in this vibrant field.
