Research : Longquan cave : an early Upper Palaeolithic site in Henan Province, China

The Palaeolithic sequence of East Asia differs from that of western Eurasia in that it is characterised by core-and-flake tools. Blade industries only appear late in the sequence, long after the first appearance of modern humans; bone tools and personal ornaments may therefore function as a better marker of modern human presence. Longquan cave provides vital new evidence to this effect, with dated hearths indicating an initial occupation around 40 kya cal BP, followed by a second period of activity around 3531 kya cal BP. They are associated with a polished bone awl and a structured division of settlement space, features typically associated with modern humans. [Publication Abstract]