The discovery of Kina technology challenges the view of ancient human development in East Asia

The Mid-Lestic Age is considered a dynamic period in European and African history, but is generally considered a static period in East Asia. New research at the University of Washington challenges that perception.

Researchers have discovered the complete Kina technical system (how to create a set of tools) at Longtan sites in southwestern China, dated approximately 50,000-60,000 years ago. Kina technology was discovered in Europe decades ago, but has never been discovered in East Asia before.

On March 31, the team released the findings in minutes of the National Academy of Sciences.

“This is a huge upset about how we think about that part of the world during that period,” said co-author Ben Marwick, co-author of archaeology. “What else we were doing during this period really raises the question of what we haven’t yet found.

The Mid-Paleolithic, or Mid-Stone Age, occurred around 300,000-40,000 years ago and is considered an important time in human evolution. This period is related to the origins and evolution of modern African people. In Eurasia, it is associated with the development of several archaic human groups, such as the Neanderthals and Denisovan. However, there is a widely believed belief that in most of the Paleolithic period, China’s development was slowing.

The Quina system identified in China has been dated 55,000 years ago, in the same period as the European discoveries. This challenges the idea that the Central Paleolithic Age is stagnant in the region and will improve understanding of Homo sapiens, Denisovan and perhaps other humankind.

The most distinctive part of the Quina system is the scraper. This is a generally thick and asymmetric stone tool with extensive and sharp work edges with clear indications of use and repainting. Researchers have discovered some of these and by-products of their production. Small scratches and tips on the tool indicate that they were used to scratch or scratch bones, horns or wood.

Marwick said the question turned out to be: How did this toolkit arrive in East Asia? Researchers work to determine whether there is a direct connection (people gradually migrating from west to east), or whether technology was invented independently without direct contact between groups.

If researchers could find an archaeological site with a set of deep layers, it would be useful, Marwick said, so they could see which tools were developed before the advent of Kina technology.

“We can see if they do the same thing in advance that Quina appears to be developing,” Marwick said. “Then it may seem like the development is more local. They were experimenting with different forms of the previous generation and eventually completed it. Or, if Quina appeared without any indication of an experiment, it suggests that this was sent from another group.”

There are several reasons why Quina Technology was discovered in East Asia today. Marwick said it is the factor that archaeologists working in China are learning more about archaeology in other parts of the world, and how they perceive their findings. He said the pace of research is also increasing. This means that archaeologists are more likely to find more unusual artifacts.

“The idea that nothing has changed for such a long time in East Asia has a tough grip on people,” Marwick said. “They don’t think about the possibility of finding something to challenge them. Now there may be some scholars interested in questioning these ideas.”

Much of the archaeological discoveries depend on luck, Marwick said, but one of the future goals is to uncover human remains in the area.

“It can answer the question of whether these tools are products of modern humans like you and me,” Marwick said. “Neanderthals have never been found in East Asia, but can we find Neanderthals? Or perhaps we can find Denisovan, the ancestor of another kind of human being?