North China Small Stone Leaves The Process Of Cultural Adaptation Research

On the basis of Cultural Ecology Theory and Systems Theory, this research attempts to explore the Late Pleistocene human adaptations in North China. The lithic specimens are selected from five typical late Paleolithic sites in North China, including the Shizitan, Xiachuan, Chaisi (Dingcun Loc.77:01),Xueguan in South Shanxi Province and Hutouliang at Nihewan Basin, Hebei Province. I examine them by different analytical methods such as techno-typological approach, microwear, comparison and statistics from the new perspective of cultural adaptations.The results review some variations on lithic technology, subsistence strategies, mobility and settlement patterns exist to a certain extent among the five assemblages. Moreover, I propose that the microblade technology is a proper cultural adaptive system for the Late Pleistocene humans in North China, and try to explain its dynamic and factors.It is suggested that the microblade technology system in North China is a complex technological product of the certain ecological environment combined with human's intellectual evolution and agency. This adaptive system might be essential response to the various changes and pressures of the reactions between human and circumstances, which might maintain the normal operations of the energy. During the Late Pleistocene, the climate and environment underwent the dramatic changes.On the one hand,the human had to rely on the consumption of animal resources as the reduction of the plant resources, and they had to improve their hunting techniques.The high mobility of animals provided more pressure and crisis of time budget and living on the hunter-gatherers.Thus, the groups were driven to invent and adopt specialized technology and curated tools to increase their subsistence ability and efficiency. On the other hand, the higher mobility requires the lighter stones to be carried with hunters in order to avoid the shortage of raw material and economic venture. So, we can find the apparent intentional and economizing behavior in some sites. Meanwhile, the severe conditions and resource constrains might make the human's mobility flexible.According to both the requests of economizing raw material and high mobility, the hunter-gatherers have adopted the curation technique to response all the pressures.In addition, the microblade technology possesses continuity and standardization which make the groups maintain the tradition, sometime they might be influenced by exotic cultures or new technologies.To sum up, the different aspects of specialization, economizing behavior, curation and cognitive together contribute to the innovation and adoption of the microblade technology by the Late Pleistocene human in North China.