Provenancing hornfels in the Dingcun industry: The exploitation of the vicinity source

Abstract

a b s t r a c tIn this paper, we attempt to determine the source of the hornfels used to make the famous Late Middle Pleistocene lithic industry from Dingcun in North China. By combining geological mapping and geochemical fingerprinting (m-XRF), we demonstrate that the source of the hornfels was around the Dagudui Mountain, 7 km east of Dingcun. Taking into consideration the Gujiao site, which is also located along the Fenhe River, the Palaeolithic inhabitants of the Fenhe River drainage basin had a good knowledge of the local rock sources, and used them over a very long period from the Middle Pleistocene to the Neolithic. Our geochemical data not only helps us to establish the source of the Dingcun industry, but also provides a reliable basis for the sub-classification of the hornfels that is more accurate than that resulting from visual inspection. In addition, our research initiates a new method for studying raw material sources of Chinese Paleolithic sites.

A Late Acheulean Culture on the Chinese Loess Plateau: The techno-economic behavior of the Dingcun lithic industry

“…As mentioned in former studies, the large cores for making blanks for large-flake tools such as handaxes or cleavers are almost absent in the site (Yang et al, 2014(Yang et al, , 2015). This is a common situation, as rocks large, heavy, and angular enough to produce large flakes weredebitaged in the outcrops (Texier and Roche, 1995).…”

“…The raw materials are dominated by hornfels (94.6%), but chert and quartz are also present. The hornfels used in Dingcun lithic industryis from outcrops aroundDagudui Mountain, which is 7 km from the Dingcun site (Pei et al,1958;Wang et al,1987;Yang et al, 2015). The raw material acquisition of Dingcunis similarto that at other Acheulean sites: raw materials were probably first tested and flaked at the quarry site, and then brought back to the site as prepared cores or large flake-blanks (Texier and Roche, 1995;Inizan et al,1999).Therefore the large cores for making blanks for large-flake tools such as handaxes or cleaver are almost absent in the site.…”

“…In this paper, we have restudied theDingcun lithic industry, including its raw material sourcingand chaîneopératoire, and conducted knapping experiments (see Yang et al,2014;Yang et al,2015).We also take other Chinese Acheulean sites into account to establish the characteristics of the Acheulean culture in Loess Plateau.…”

Environmental change and raw material selection strategies at Taoshan: a terminal Late Pleistocene to Holocene site in north‐eastern China

“…Hornfels is a type of contact‐thermal metamorphic rock; after recrystallization, the rock became hard and compact and is can commonly be used in archaeological assemblages elsewhere (e.g. Sharon, ; Leader IV, ; Yang et al ., ).…”

“…Hornfels is a type of contact-thermal metamorphic rock; after recrystallization, the rock became hard and compact and is can commonly be used in archaeological assemblages elsewhere (e.g. Sharon, 2008;Leader IV, 2009;Yang et al, 2017). In the mid-Holocene level (Layer 2), another important shift in raw material use occurred, with no single raw material predominating.…”