Abstract
The role of Oasis-based economies was pivotal for Hunter-gatherers in the Gobi Desert following the Last Glacial Maximum. Despite this significance, there has been a lack of systematic technological studies on lithic assemblages to investigate the technological strategies employed by hunter-gatherers for desert adaptation. In this study, we conducted a lithic analysis based on new excavations at Pigeon Mountain Locality 10 (QG10), focusing on archaeological remains from CL3 and CL2 dating back to 13.7–11.7 ka cal BP. Our findings reveal that the lithic technology employed reflects a flexible strategy, characterized by expedient flake production, the versatility of flake cores, and a diverse array of microblade cores and tools. Notably, we observed an expedient organizational strategy in microblade production, involving minimal investment in pre-shaping microblade cores and reduced depletion in core rejuvenation. Additionally, there was a heightened use of local quartzite raw materials, indicating enhanced flexibility, possibly influenced by the relatively dry and cold environmental changes during that period.
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