Regional variation in bone tool technology in China: Insights from the Zhaoguodong Cave in Southwest China

Abstract

Bone tool technology is crucial for exploring ancient human survival strategies, technological choices, and behavioral patterns. Owing to the limited number and diversity of bone tool assemblages from the Upper Paleolithic in China, previous studies could not elucidate the regional characteristics of bone artifacts. Here, we comprehensively analyzed a collection of 398 bone tools discovered at the Zhaoguodong Cave in Southern China and dating back to c.17–8 ka cal BP. These tools could be classified into nine types: bevel-ended tools, points, awls, worked tusks, fishhooks, undetermined tools, smoothers, semifinished tools, and tool fragments. The investigations revealed that the predominant manufacturing techniques included scraping and grinding, accompanied by flaking, cutting, and polishing. Furthermore, a comprehensive review of published bone tools in China revealed the existence of two distinctive bone tool technologies. The trajectory of the development of bone technology in Northern China displayed a relatively stable pattern characterized by the early presence of elaborate ornaments and well-established perforation techniques at the initial stages; this pattern was absent in Southern China. Notably, the rapid advancement of bone tools in Southern China primarily proceeded after the Last Glacial Maximum. This subsequent development was evident in the proliferation of bone tools, the increased complexity and diversity of tool types, and the diversification of raw-material-acquisition strategies. Our findings contribute to the elucidation and evolution of bone tool technology in China, clarifying the cultural and technological diversities of the human population in the region during the Upper Paleolithic.