蔚县盆地吉家庄遗址古人类技术与行为特征及其环境适应

The Nihewan basin (senso lato), as the earliest and centralized evidence on the earliest human dispersal to East Asia, is the key region on the study of the relationship between early hominin evolution and environment in North China. However, whether or not the existence of mode 2 technology has cause great attention for a long time. This project will make a comprehensive study on the archaeological materials consist of lithic artifacts, animal fossils, and bone fragments excavated from new discovered Middle Pleistocene site-Jijiazhuang, Yuxian basin (south part of the Nihewan basin) since 2015. Major research focuses on the geochronology, characteristics of lithic technology, lithic replication, zooarchaeological analysis, and the environmental factors. Flaking sequence and 3D (Three-Dimentional) Geomorphometric Analysis help to explain the characteristics of lithic technology. Testing of stratigraphy, grain size, and dating combining with the spatial distributed feature of lithic artifacts and fossil fragments for establishing the 3D model on site formation processes of different localities (JJZ-A, JJZ-B, QSY-A, and QSY-B) at Jijiazhuang site. The zooarchaeological observation and lithic replication can reveal the information of living behaviors adopted by early hominins. The key factors analysis of the sediments including sporopollen, organic carbon isotope, and geochemical component of macro-element will be conducted by the applicants to reconstruct the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes. As a result, an interpretation of occupation processes and behaviors adopted by early hominins at Jijiazhuang site will be inferred by the applicants. Owing to lithic technical comparison between some important Early Pleistocene sites in the eastern part of the Nihewan basin, and Olduvai Gorge in East Africa, the applicants will try to interpret the causation and mode of hominins migration, technical communication and exchange between West and East during Early to Middle Pleistocene. In this way, the project will contribute to research on the evolution, dispersal and technical development mode of early hominins in China.

泥河湾盆地(广义)是研究中国北方更新世人类演化和环境关系的关键地区。长期以来，盆地内是否存在古人类模式2技术一直为学术界所关注。本项目拟对盆地南部蔚县盆地新发现的吉家庄中更新世遗址出土石制品和动物化石，从技术类型学、功能学及环境因素等角度进行综合研究。运用层级剥片和三维几何形态分析，揭示古人类石器技术特点；通过对地层、粒度和年代的分析测试，结合遗物空间分布特点，建立遗址形成过程的空间模型；借助动物考古、石器模拟实验，提取古人类生存行为信息；采用孢粉、有机碳同位素、常量元素地球化学分析等测试手段，复原遗址形成的气候和环境背景，在此基础上解读古人类对遗址的使用过程和适应行为。通过与泥河湾盆地东部及东非Olduvai Gorge多个早-中更新世遗址石器技术的比较研究，探索在早-中更新世发生中西方人群迁徙、技术传播与交流的动因和规律，对中国早期人类的演化、扩散和技术演化模式等学术问题提供新的视角。

泥河湾盆地（广义）是研究中国北方更新世人类演化和环境关系的关键地区。长期以来，盆地内中更新世古人类生存特点和环境因素一直有待揭示，制约了对泥河湾百万年人类技术演化历史的构建。项目组选取盆地南部蔚县吉家庄中更新世遗址出土石制品和动物化石，从技术类型学、功能学、动物考古学及环境因素等角度进行综合研究。26Al/10Be和ESR年代测定表明，古人类在该遗址活动的时间大致发生在距今0.51±0.10 Ma。对遗址出土遗物的多项指标（遗物空间分布特点、石制品风化磨蚀状况、石制品技术组合与空间产状特征等）分析显示，湖滨相不同微地貌部位对遗址的埋藏过程产生不同的影响。古人类采集距离遗址6km以外的玉皇山和小五台山分布的火山岩制作石制品；石核剥片采用硬锤锤击法，石器以硬锤直接修理为主，类型以刮削器居多，修理较为随意。动物考古分析显示，古人类于原地对大中型食草动物进行了肢解、割肉与敲骨取髓等多种活动。依据易溶盐主要离子比值和碳酸盐碳、氧稳定同位素含量，并结合沉积物特点将湖泊气候演化划分为 4 个阶段，记录了气候由相对冷湿→凉干→相对温暖湿润的变化过程，古人类在该遗址活动时期对应于湖泊演化的第 2 阶段早期，处在古湖水位降低且气候向干凉转变的湖滨环境。通过与泥河湾盆地其他时段遗址的石制品技术比较，项目组认为吉家庄遗址石器工业填补了盆地中更新世技术演化序列的空白。本项研究表明，作为广义泥河湾盆地的重要组成部分，蔚县盆地不仅弥补中更新世古人类生存行为研究空白，在揭示东亚中更新世人类演化与东西方技术交流方面具有不可替代的优势，同时对深入探讨中更新世人类对华北温带草原环境的适应策略亦具有重要意义。