The Persistence of Mode 1 Technology in the Korean Late Paleolithic

Hyeong Woo Lee,David Caramelli

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0064999

Abstract

Ssangjungri (SJ), an open-air site with several Paleolithic horizons, was recently discovered in South Korea. Most of the identified artifacts are simple core and flake tools that indicate an expedient knapping strategy. Bifacially worked core tools, which might be considered non-classic bifaces, also have been found. The prolific horizons at the site were dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) to about 30 kya. Another newly discovered Paleolithic open-air site, Jeungsan (JS), shows a homogeneous lithic pattern during this period. The dominated artifact types and usage of raw materials are similar in character to those from SJ, although JS yielded a larger number of simple core and flake tools with non-classic bifaces. Chronometric analysis by AMS and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) indicate that the prime stratigraphic levels at JS also date to approximately 30 kya, and the numerous conjoining pieces indicate that the layers were not seriously affected by post-depositional processes. Thus, it can be confirmed that simple core and flake tools were produced at temporally and culturally independent sites until after 30 kya, supporting the hypothesis of a wide and persistent use of simple technology into the Late Pleistocene.

Highlights

There is growing evidence of simple core and flake tools in the Late Paleolithic of South Korea
1. highly expedient lithic reduction strategy 2. on-site use of poor quality raw material regardless of blank form 3. relatively high frequency of pounding forms 4. presence of bifacial tool forms 5. lack of diagnostic criteria associated with LCT or small tool traditions First, the suggested age of the SJ and JS sites is about 30 kya, when blades and associated toolkits had been already introduced to the Korean peninsula
To summarize the lithic variation observed at SJ and JS during the early Late Paleolithic in Korea: blades are present, but the persistence of made core and flake toolkits is an integral part of the Late Paleolithic Korean assemblages

Summary

Introduction

There is growing evidence of simple core and flake tools in the Late Paleolithic of South Korea (see Figure 1 and 2). Recent studies have shown that simple assemblages comprising crudely made core and flake tools produced by direct percussion persisted into the Late Paleolithic in East Asia [2,3,11]. In several cases, such simple tools are incorporated in blade assemblages, and appear independently during the coeval period with blade industries, even after 35 kya. The simple tools have been viewed as a quantitative property of modern human behavioral variability [10] This leads to the hypothesis that simple tools should be treated as important hallmarks within Korea and other parts of East Asia. Secure chronological associations of lithic materials from SJ and JS surely contribute to the explanation of the extensive usage of simple lithic technology in temporal context

Materials and Methods

Results and Discussion

Conclusion