Examining the distance-decay effect on obsidian lithic technological organization and its implications for raw material transportation: A case study from the Upper Paleolithic of Northeast Asia

•Conducted a pioneering attribute comparative study of the obsidian lithic industries between Upper Paleolithic sites in Northeast China and South Korea.•Identified significant distance-decay effect on obsidian procurement and related technological organization strategies in Sino-Korean sites.•Demonstrated the potential for more geographically restricted obsidian transport routes from Paektusan to South Korea. This study conducts a comprehensive quantitative comparative analysis of the Upper Paleolithic obsidian industry in Northeast China and South Korea, examining the human adaptation, exploitation, and distribution of obsidian, juxtaposed with migration and interaction dynamics across the Mount Paektu (Paektusan) and Korean Peninsula. Integrating distance-decay theory with the hunter-gatherer social network model, and informed by new archaeological findings, our research addresses three vital domains: the supply zone of Paektusan obsidian, dispersal patterns, and lithic technological strategies correlated to obsidian availability. An obsidian raw material supply zone hypothesized to extend 100 km from Paektusan is established based on artifact frequency and size variations. Through a novel statistical approach, coupled with extensive database analysis of artifacts from three recent Northeast China excavations and existing Sino-Korean literature, our findings indicate a higher exploitation intensity of limited obsidian resources in South Korea, manifesting in specialized microlith use. The comparative analysis across five distance groups and Least Cost Path (LCP) models suggests the possibility of more geographically restricted southward material transport to South Korea. This research advances our understanding of the regional prehistoric exchange networks and offers fresh insights into the technological organization within the Upper Paleolithic obsidian industries of Northeast Asia. It underscores potential variations in raw material conveyance loss and foreshadows the investigative opportunities that may emerge from future data accessibility in North Korea.