Archeological evidence has indicated that early humans fabricated tools during the Middle Paleolithic period in Europe and Africa. East Asia, during that same time, was considered less advanced. A new finding demonstrates that we need to adjust our conception of when and where tools were first made and used.
Researchers report the discovery of the “Quina technological system” — essentially tools for making tools, with various kinds of stone chips at its core — in southwest China, dating back to about 50,000 years to 60,000 years ago, according to an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Similar artifacts have been found in Europe dating back to about the same time period.
“This is a big upset to the way we think about that part of the world in that period of time,” Ben Marwick, co-author and University of Washington archeologist, said in a press release. “It really raises the question of, what else were people doing during this period that we haven’t found yet? How is this going to change how we think about people and human evolution in this area?”
Stone Age Tech Spread Slowly
Archeologists have changed their opinions about the development of tools before. They once thought their appearance was revolutionary. But more recent findings show that stone age technology developed and spread more slowly.
The stone scraper — thick, asymmetrical, and with a sharp edge — represents the hallmark of the Quina system. The tool was typically used to shape bones, antlers, and wood. The archeologists found several such objects at the southwest China site. The scrapers showed clear signs of use, as well as evidence that they had been resharpened.
The biggest question now, is how did those tools get there? Were they developed in one part of the world, then migrated to another? Or did different groups of early humans more or less create the same technology, at the same time — but in separate places?
How Early Human Technology Spread
To answer that question, the archeologists will need to dig deeper — quite literally. Finding another archeological site — but with many layers — could show the technological build-up to the Quina system’s development there. Archeology in China is a bit behind the study in much of the Western world, so its possible there are undiscovered troves of artifacts that could provide some answers.
“We can try to see if they were doing something similar beforehand that Quina seemed to evolve out of,” Marwick said. “Then we might say that development seems to be more local — they were experimenting with different forms in previous generations, and they finally perfected it. Alternatively, if Quina appears without any sign of experimentation, that suggests this was transmitted from another group.”
As more relevant artifacts are unearthed, we may have to change our way of thinking about the growth and spread of technology among early humans.
Read More: Stone Tools That are 1.4 Million Years Old Mark the Migration of Ancient Humans in Europe
Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Quina lithic technology indicates diverse Late Pleistocene human dynamics in East Asia
Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.
