The East Asian Middle Paleolithic Reexamined

Abstract

The criteria to define the Middle Paleolithic in East Asia have traditionally been presence/absence of archaic Homo sapiens fossils, biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, the Middle-Late Pleistocene transition, and lithic technology. In this paper, we examine the use of the Middle-Late Pleistocene shift as a valid criterion for characterizing the Middle Paleolithic in East Asia. Our review indicates that the most representative “Middle Paleolithic” sites in China (Zhoukoudian Locality 15, Dingcun, Xujiayao, Dali) all have chronometric ages that bracket the Middle-Late Pleistocene transition. However, the age range for these sites is extremely wide, extending from the middle Middle Pleistocene (c. 500 ka) to the middle Late Pleistocene (75 ka). This very large chronometric span suggests that the Middle-Late Pleistocene transition (140–100 ka) is of little use for defining a distinct Middle Paleolithic in East Asia. Other evidence to support a distinct East Asian Middle Paleolithic is also not strong, particularly distinct changes in lithic technology. Accordingly, we argue that an “Early” Paleolithic, representing the originally designated Lower and Middle Paleolithic sites, is more applicable to the uniqueness of the East Asian archaeological record.