Mid-Pleistocene Acheulean-like Stone Technology of the Bose Basin, South China

2000/03/03 by Hou Yamei, Richard Potts, Yuan Baoyin +6 · 7 citations
Social Sciences · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology #Archaeology and ancient environmental studies #Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies #Acheulean #Stone tool #Pleistocene #China #East Asia #Hominidae #Early Pleistocene #Archaeology #Paleontology #Paleoanthropology #Geology #Structural basin #Geography #Biological evolution #Biology

paper · doi:10.1126/science.287.5458.1622

openalex publication_date 2000/03/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

Stone artifacts from the Bose basin, South China, are associated with tektites dated to 803,000 +/- 3000 years ago and represent the oldest known large cutting tools (LCTs) in East Asia. Bose toolmaking is compatible with Mode 2 (Acheulean) technologies in Africa in its targeted manufacture and biased spatial distribution of LCTs, large-scale flaking, and high flake scar counts. Acheulean-like tools in the mid-Pleistocene of South China imply that Mode 2 technical advances were manifested in East Asia contemporaneously with handaxe technology in Africa and western Eurasia. Bose lithic technology is associated with a tektite airfall and forest burning.

Citations

• The oldowan reassessed: A close look at early stone artifacts
• Observations on the Lower Palaeolithic of Northeast Asia [and Comments and Reply]

Cited by

• Early Pleistocene Presence of Acheulian Hominins in South India
• Divorcing Hominins from the Stegodon-Ailuropoda Fauna: New Views on the Antiquity of Hominins in Asia
• “Out of Africa I”: Current Problems and Future Prospects
• Early Evidence of Acheulean Settlement in Northwestern Europe - La Noira Site, a 700 000 Year-Old Occupation in the Center of France
• Travel and landscape: the Zuo River Valley rock art of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
• Paleolithic Technology and Human Evolution
• Hand axe [wikipedia]