Lithic technology and potential functions of quartz flakes used by early farmers in Central China
Source abstract
Abstract
Chipped stone tools can reveal past human activities and movements, but have received less attention than ground stone tools in studies of early farming societies in China. This study addresses this gap by examining quartz chipped stone tools from Jiahu, one of the earliest farming communities in Central China. Apart from typo-technological analysis, experimental archaeology was employed to replicate quartz cores and flakes using similar raw materials, shedding light on the knapping techniques used at Jiahu and evaluating the functional potential of the tools. Combined with a preliminary use-wear study, the results suggest that this quartz assemblage likely played a role in Neolithic craft production. These findings provide valuable data for future comparative research on technological choices across early agricultural societies, thereby contributing to deeper investigations into the origins and development of the earliest farming communities in Central China.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (48)
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