Skip to main content
Log in

Mode of débitage and technical cognition of hominids at the Guanyindong site

  • Articles/Geology
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

Exploring and interpreting the mode of cognition and behavioral patterns of prehistoric hunter-gatherers is always one of the main goals of current Paleolithic research. In the 1940s, French prehistorians proposed the technological method for studying lithic assemblages which opened a brand-new perspective on the prehistoric domain. In the 1960s, French ethnographer and anthropologist André Leroi-Gourhan proposed the concept “chaîne opératoire” and established the theory of lithic technological study. After the 1980s, the concept “chaîne opératoire” was substituted for two different but complementary concepts: techno-cognition and techno-economy, which contributed not only to revealing the technical knowledge and know-how applied during lithic production but also to interpreting the technical behavior of prehistoric hunter-gatherers from social and economic viewpoints. The lithic technological study of the Guanyindong site, presented in this paper, was carried out for the first time by applying lithic technological method developed by French prehistorians to the Chinese materials. Our analytical results demonstrated that the débitage system of Guanyindong is quite distinct from the concept Levallois largely used in Europe, Near-East and Africa. The differentiation between these two débitage modes may contribute to exploring and interpreting the relationship in Middle Paleolithic between China and Europe, Near-East and Africa.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Leroi-Gourhan A. Evolution and Techniques I: Man and Materials (in French). Paris: Albin Michel (2nd ed. in 1971), 1943. 1–348

    Google Scholar 

  2. Li Y X, Wen B H. Guanyindong—A Lower Paleolithic Site at Qianxi County, Guizhou Province. Beijing: Cultural Relics Publishing House, 1986. 3–5

    Google Scholar 

  3. Yuan S X, Chen T M, Gao S J. Uranium series chronological sequence of some Paleolithic sites in South China (in Chinese). Acta Anthropol Sin, 1986, 5: 179–190

    Google Scholar 

  4. Shen G J, Jin L H. U-series dating of speleothem samples from Guanyindong cave at Qianxi County, Guizhou Province (in Chinese). Acta Anthropol Sin, 1992, 11: 93–100

    Google Scholar 

  5. Shen G J, Liu J, Jin L H. Preliminary results on U-series dating of Panxian Dadong in Guizhou Province, S-W China (in Chinese). Acta Anthropol Sin, 1997, 16: 221–230

    Google Scholar 

  6. Jones H L, Rink W J, Schepartz L A, et al. Coupled electron spin resonance (ESR)/uranium-series dating of mammalian tooth enamel at Panxian Dadong, Guizhou Province, China. J Archaeol Sci, 2004, 31: 965–977

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Leroi-Gourhan A. Gesture and Speech I: Technics and Language (in French). Paris: Albin Michel, 1964. 296–297

    Google Scholar 

  8. Inizan M L, Reduron-Ballinger M, Roche H, et al. Technology and Terminology of Knapped Stone. Meudon: CREP, 1999. 1–199

    Google Scholar 

  9. Chen H, Shen C. Chaîne opératoire in lithic analysis: Definition, concept and application (in Chinese). Acta Anthropol Sin 2009, 28: 201–214

    Google Scholar 

  10. Boëda E, Geneste J M, Meignen L. Identification of lithic chaînes opératoires in Lower and Middle Paleolithic (in French). Paléo, 1990, 2: 43–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Geneste J M. Technical systems of lithic production: techno-economic variation in the process of realization of Paleolithic tools (in French). Technique & Culture, 1991, 17/18: 1–36

    Google Scholar 

  12. Pelegrin J. The know-how: a very long history (in French). Terrain, 1991, 16: 106–113

    Google Scholar 

  13. Boëda E. Approach to variability of the lithic production systems of industries in Lower and Middle Paleolithic: chronicle of an anticipative variability (in French). Technique & Culture, 1991, 17/18: 37–79

    Google Scholar 

  14. Simondon G. The Mode of Existence of Technical Objects (in French). 3rd ed. Paris: Aubier, 1989. 1–331

    Google Scholar 

  15. Perlès C. Economy of raw materials and economy of debitage: two opposite concepts? In: 25 Years’ Technological Studies in Prehistory. 11th International Conference of Archaeology and History at Antibes (in French). Antibes: APDCA, 1991. 35–45

    Google Scholar 

  16. Dauvois M. Precis of Dynamic and Structural Drawing of Prehistoric Lithic Industries (in French). Périgueux: Fanlac, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  17. Li Y H, Hou Y M, Bodin E. A brief review of lithic technological study in France (in Chinese). Acta Anthropol Sin 2008, 27: 51–65

    Google Scholar 

  18. Huang W W, Hou Y M. Stone industry from Panxian Dadong, a cave-site of Southwestern China (in Chinese). Acta Anthropol Sin, 1997, 16: 171–192

    Google Scholar 

  19. Kato S P. Where did the Japanese Come From? (in Japanese). Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1988. 92–96

    Google Scholar 

  20. Boëda E. The Levallois Concept: Variability of Methods (in French). Paris: CNRS, 1994. 1–280

    Google Scholar 

  21. Boëda E. Technogenesis of lithic production systems of Lower and Middle Paleolithic in occidental Europe and Near-East (in French). Dissertation for qualification of director of researches. Paris: University of Paris X-Nanterre, 1997. 1–173

    Google Scholar 

  22. Boëda E. The discoid debitage and the recurrent centripetal Levallois debitage (in French). Bull Soc Préhist Française, 1993, 90: 392–404

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to YingHua Li.

Additional information

Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006 CB806400), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40872023 and J0630965) and Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

About this article

Cite this article

Li, Y., Hou, Y. & Boëda, E. Mode of débitage and technical cognition of hominids at the Guanyindong site. Chin. Sci. Bull. 54, 3864–3871 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0612-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0612-6

Keywords

Navigation