Functional Study Of Flint Artifacts From Zijinshan Paleolithic Site,Zhejiang

In Middle Paleolithic,there were some important changes of stone artifacts in Zhejiang area;previous studies concerning topology and technology indicate that regional characteristic may exist in this area.However,the lack of functional study makes it difficult to get breakthroughs in Paleolithic studies in this region and in South China,so the picture of prehistoric human behavior still remains ambiguous.In 2014,a group of stone artifacts which could be dated back to Middle Paleolithic were excavated from Zijinshan site,Changxing,Zhejiang.In order to explore the complex human behaviors,115 flints artifacts were selected to be examined this time;use-wear analysis was 'employed to reveal the function of them and to understand the exploration of natural resources at that time.By means of statistical analysis,the relationship among the morphology,technical characteristics and the results of use-wear observation was explored.Evaluation of specimens' preservation state shows that 8 artifacts were excluded due to the post-depositional effect.63.5%-70.4%of the rest specimens were recognized have been used.104 Functional Units were observed on the 73 specimens,including various working motions,such as scraping,cutting,chopping and so on.The living resources of the occupants mainly consist of animals and plants,the artifacts were mostly used for butchering/dismembering animals,and possibly for making wooden tools or bone tools.And plants may be produced as shafts for composite tools,or be made into weapons for hunting animals.Morpho-techno-functional analysis indicates that expedient technologies and the purposeful modification both show on these artifacts.Assessing functions of some artifacts conforms that two different functional parts-using area and prehensile area-actually exist,some artifacts even show design for hafting and handheld.These and other evidence,using composite tools,reflect the consideration of human resources in such early period,which demonstrates the level of human cognition had been developed to a certain extent.According to the published references,the use-wear evidence of using hafted composite tool observed this time is the earliest in China;it provides new material to discuss the development of the lithic technology in Middle Paleolithic.