Abstract

The lithic technological methodology was presented in a systematic way in this book. This method was proposed and established by French prehistorians in the 20thcentury and applied to Chinese lithic industries for the first time. The researches presented here exhibited the advantage of this methodology in study of lithic industries and its faisability in Chinese Paleolithic research. The lithic technological methodology was based on notion of“chaîne opératoire”which was proposed in 1960s by French prehistorian and anthropologist, A. Leroi-Gourhan. This notion opened a brand-new perspective for prehistoric study and contributed to constructing a multi-leveled explanatory frame. After 1980s some French prehistorians proposed a series of new concepts such as“schème opératoire”，“techno-cognition”and“techno-economy”and formed a set of standardized analytic method and procedures, so as to facilitate revealing cognitive modes of hominids（e. g. concept, method, technique, procedure）and interpreting hominids' behaviors from socio-economic perspective. Since 1990s new techno-functional method has been developed, which enabled to reveal technique logic involved in tool production and to infer predetermined function and use-pattern of tools. During 50 years, this methodology has become a com-plete system and an independent discipline in prehistory.

From techno-cognitive perspective the lithic production of hominids in-volved two basic concepts: one was débitage, and the other was façonnage. According to these two concepts, we selected 11 sites and conducted detailed a-nalysis so as to reveal different operative schemes used in lithic production. Then we used“operative schemes”as principal criteria to compare lithic industries from different sites and regions and to reveal the homogeneity and variability of lithic industries of intra and inter-regions. It was indicated that the débitage of system C in terms of additional structure of cores was the most frequently-used débitage system and that the system E and F-bipolar débitage was occasionally present in Chinese Paleolithic industries. The concept of Levallois（system F）, which was largely used in Europe, Near-East, Middle-Asia, West Asia, Altai and Mongolia, was not present in lithic industries of older than 50 ka in central-southern and south-west China. In addition, the concept of façonnage represented by bifaces displayed a salient feature. These bifaces were technologically different from counterpart of classical Acheulean complex and did not evolve from Early to Late Pleistocen as Acheulean implements did. It was suggested that the bifacial phenomenon may reflect different cultural traditions and result from technologic convergence.

In summary, despite presence of some variability in lithic production and several isolated industries in some regions, Chinese Paleolithic cultures followed an independent, continuous trajectory in most time of Pleistocene.

Keywords:Chaîne opératoire, Operative scheme, Débitage, Façonnage, China