The Research Of Lithic Function And Human Behaviour In Hui He Dam Site,Inner Mongolia:Result Of The Use-wear Analysis

The Huihe River Dam site is a significant microlithic site that uncovered 2647 lithic artifacts in 1996.Based on functional analysis,this study tries to explore information about the function of the site and discusses the evolvement of adaptability of prehistoric human occupied in the area.In order to comprehend the lithic function and human behavior at Huihe during Neolithic period,we have selected 431 specimens for use-wear analysis,including flake tools,microblade tools and core tools.As a basic of use-wear analysis,the author has designed and conducted use-wear experiment before and thoroughly summarizes the features of use-wear in experimental specimens.By using low-power technique,we recognized wear traces on 261 specimens,accounting for 60.6%of the observed samples.According to working motions and the main contact materials,we suggest that stone tools were used for hunting and processing animals.Different hunting tools may be used in different ways.Arrowheads may be used in ways of throwing after being hafted,and then with the help of bows,they can be used for shooting animals at a long distance.Geometric microlithic was used as a projectile point:it was embedded in a handle whose top was sharpened or hafted with a point.The similar numbers of these two kinds of hunting tools suggests their interworking during hunting.As for processing tools,differences are not very significant,almost every tools was used for processing animals.But exception also exists,e.g.scrapers were not only used for processing food but also used for making bone tools.In the toolkit of Huihe,hafting is commonly seen in hunting tools.As cloven-hoofed animals with the characteristic of fast running were the main species of local fauna,weapons for long-distance shooting functions were more favorable during hunting and hafting is thus required.Prehistoric human might take the morphological features into consideration when they determined which tools to haft.Specimens that are unable to use alone may be hafted as a composite tool to extend the arm of force and improve the efficiency.In conclusion,this site might serve as butchery and most hunting tools were left on the hunting grounds.Social division of labor may exist,which means some people specialized in manufacturing stone tools while some other people took charge of processing and hunting.Although to what extent occupants at this area made use of plant resources still remain uncertain,results of use-wear analysis suggest that the utilization of plant was at a low level at this time.In conclusion,those occupants lived mainly on animal resources.