During the Late Pleistocene, human populations across Asia developed a diverse range of stone-tool technologies. In northern China, microblade industries have been extensively documented, while South China was long thought to be dominated by cobble-tool traditions. Recent discoveries, however, have revealed overlooked evidence of lithic miniaturization, suggesting a broader technological repertoire than previously assumed. Miniaturized artifacts are linked to advantages such as efficient raw material use, longer cutting edges, and improved transportability—features critical in times of ecological stress or high mobility. Yet, questions remain about their development and spread across South China. Due to these gaps, in-depth research on lithic miniaturization in South China is urgently needed.
A team of Chinese and international researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with collaborators from Griffith University, the University of Washington, and the Smithsonian Institution has now conducted the first multivariate comparative study of lithic miniaturization in South China. The findings were published (DOI: 10.1007/s11442-025-2375-7) in Journal of Geographical Sciences in May 2025. The study analyzed assemblages from Fodongdi in Yunnan, Fulin in Sichuan, and Xiqiaoshan in Guangdong, spanning roughly 18,000 to 5,600 years ago. By combining techno-typological analysis with statistical tools such as Principal Component Analysis and K-means clustering, the researchers traced the evolution of miniaturized stone technologies and their links to changing climates and human populations.
The study examined more than 12,000 artifacts, identifying 456 bipolar pieces at Fodongdi, 222 bladelet-like pieces at Fulin, and 387 microblades at Xiqiaoshan. Each site reflected different ecological settings and chronological contexts. At Fodongdi, located in tropical Yunnan, quartz pebbles were systematically reduced into small elongated splinters during cooler, resource-scarce phases of the Last Glacial Maximum. At Fulin, next to the eastern edge of Tibetan Plateau, tiny bladelet-like flakes were produced around the Younger Dryas, offering portable and efficient hunting tools in a rugged, high-altitude environment. By the middle Holocene, the Xiqiaoshan assemblage demonstrated highly standardized microblade production, including wedge-shaped and conical cores, likely driven by the demographic expansion of northern populations. Statistical analyses confirmed that these miniaturized lithics formed distinct clusters, reflecting intentional design rather than by-products of flaking. Across the three sites, a trend toward more standardized and elongated forms emerged, with average length-to-width ratios increasing over time. The results show that multiple technological systems converged on similar small, portable toolkits, highlighting a shared adaptive logic that linked human survival strategies to environmental shifts and growing populations.
“Our findings demonstrate that lithic miniaturization in South China was not a marginal phenomenon but a central adaptive strategy,” said corresponding author Yang Shixia, Associate Professor of Paleolithic Archaeology. “By comparing different sites across ecological zones, we see how communities responded innovatively to climatic fluctuations, population pressures, and cultural interactions with northern regions. The convergence toward miniaturized tools underscores the flexibility of human technological systems and provides a new lens through which to understand the dynamics of human evolution in Asia during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition.”
This research reframes South China as a key region for exploring technological innovation in human prehistory. The identification of diverse miniaturization strategies reveals how ancient groups adapted flexibly to varied ecological challenges—from glacial cooling to coastal subsistence shifts. Beyond enriching archaeological theory, the study underscores the value of combining advanced statistical approaches with traditional lithic analysis. Future interdisciplinary work, integrating ancient DNA, paleoecology, and material culture, could further clarify how climate and migration shaped human resilience. By illuminating how small tools supported big transitions, the study contributes to broader discussions of human adaptability in the face of environmental change.
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References
DOI
10.1007/s11442-025-2375-7
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-025-2375-7
Funding Information
National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.42177424, No.42488201; Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.2020074; National Key Research and Development Projects, No.2022YFF0801502.
About Journal of Geographical Sciences
Journal of Geographical Sciences is an international and multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal focusing on human-nature relationships. It publishes papers on physical geography, natural resources, environmental sciences, geographic information, remote sensing and cartography. Manuscripts come from different parts of the world.