蓝田旧石器的新材料和蓝田猿人文化

NEW FINDS OF PALAEOLITHS FROM LANTIEN

1966年3—6月,中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所再次组织发掘队,由戴尔俭、许春华、乔琪、赵聚发等组成,山西工作站王向前、武文杰参加,在陕西蓝田公王岭1965年发掘区之东的公王岭西坡,进行了发掘。这次发掘是在南北长62米、东西宽17米的较大范围内,分方打格、逐层进行的。在发掘中获得了与蓝田猿人同时代的许多哺乳动物化石和一些旧石器。与此同时,在公王岭附近又作了一些调查,从红色土层中或地面上也发现了不少旧石器。本文拟就新发现的石器材料作一介绍和探讨。哺乳动物化石另有专文介绍。本文标本插图是由沈文龙同志绘制的,标本照片是由王哲夫同志摄制的,黑色物质样品是由王福林同志化验的,在此一并致谢。

In 1966,a group of thirteen palaeoliths were uncovered from the red clay layer contem-poraneous with the fossil layer of the Lantien Man at Kungwangling in Lantien County,Shensi Province.Some red clay layers in the vicinity of Kungwangling have also yieldeda few palaeoliths(7 pieces in all).They include such types as the core,flake(sometimesbearing traces of use),scraper,pebble tool,large chopper trimmed along the border,small chopper trimmed on one side,and ball.Since no fossil remains of any other apemanhave been found in the red clay layers of Lantien,it may be safely assumed that these palae-oliths were fashioned by the Lantien Man.In the same year,archaeologists have collected a total of thirty three palaeoliths nearKungwangling.Some of them were probably contemporaneous with the Lantien Man whileothers are of a later date.Judging by the data so far obtained,the palaeoliths fashioned and used by the Lan-tien Man are characterized by many primitive features,with only a few pieces whichhave been retouched.Apart from a rather crude fashioning technique,they are not onlylimited in type but also marked by very few characteristic features.However,a certaindegree of diversification may be noticed while the flakes and some retouched implementsboth point to the existence of a rather well defined manufacturing process.It is possiblethat these palaeoliths are forerunners of the slightly later Keho Culture of Shansi and theTingtsun Culture of Shansi which dates from the middle Palaeolithic.