阳高许家窑旧石器时代文化遗址

A PALAEOLITHIC SITE AT HS-CHIA-YAO IN YANGKAO COUNTY,SHANSI PROVINCE

一、遗址附近的地质概况1974年,我们在山西省雁北地区进行旧石器时代考古调查时,在阳高县古城公社许家窑村东南1公里的梨益沟西岸的断崖上,发现了这个分布面积相当大而内含遗物又很丰富的古文化遗址。遗址的海拔高程980米,地理坐标为东经113°59′,北纬40°06′,处于大同盆地的东部(图一;图版壹)。

Discovered in the autumu of 1974 by an archaeological team of the Institute ofVertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology,Academia Sinica,the site is situated onthe west bank of the Li-yi-kou,a small tributary of the Sankan River,about one kilo-metre south-east of the village of Hs(?)-chia-yao(Lat.40°06′ N.Long.113°59′ E.)inYangkao County,Shansi and about 60 kilometres east of the City of Tatung.The deposits were found at a depth of 8 metres under the present land surface.Thelateral changes in the lithological characters of the site are rather complex,containinga total of eight distinct layers which are listed stratigraphically in a descending orderas follows: thickness8,Surface soil(?)0.3—0.5 m.7,Yellowish brown sandy soil(erosion surface)(?)3—5 m.Upper pleistocene:6,Yellowish brown sandy clay with broken shells of Struthio,teeth of Coelodontaantiquitatis and bones of Myospalax fontoniori(erosion surface)(?)ca,5m.5,Reddish sandy clay(erosion surface)(?)1—3m.4,Yellowish green sandy clay(?)ca,4m.3,Reddish brown clay(?)0.3m.2,Yellowish green clay with sand and sandy concretions in the upper part.The artifactsand animal fossils are found in this layer(?)ca,5m.1,Greyish blue,greyish green and greyish brown clay(?)4—6m.The vertebrate fossils uncovered from the culture layer include such specimens as theStruthio sp.,Ochotona sp.,Myospalax fontanieri,Microtus brandioides,Coelodonta antiquitatis,Equus Przewalskii,Gazella subgutturosa,Ovis sp.,etc.Among the finds are 598 pieces of worked stones.The materials used are as follows:number of %SpecimenVein quartz(?)190 32.26Flint(?)178 30.22Volcanic rock(?)117 19.86Agate(?)47 7.98Quartzite(?)33(?)5.60Metemophosed limestone(?)22 3.74Silicolites(?)2 0.34In addition,there are 200 pieces of unfinished forms which are not worthy of descrip-tion.Judging by the fossils unearthed,the site apparently went through a period ofmoderate cold phase and probably dates from the beginning of the last glacial age.Theartifacts uncovered suggest that they date from the late plaeolithic of 60,000—30,000 yearsbefore present.The authors are of the opinion that there are two series of Palaeolithic traditions inNorth China.One is represented by the assemblages of chopper-chopping tool-triangularheavy points found at such sites as Kehe and Tingtsun.The other is represented by theassemblages of such small implements as the small rounded scraper and burin found atLocality I of the Choukoutien site.They have also suggested the following scheme forthe Palaeolithic industry of North China: 考古学报1976年第2期(?)*Radiocarbon date of 18,340±410 B.P.**Radiocarbon date of 28,135±1330 B.P.The authors hold that the microlithic industry of North China probably originatedlocally rather than in Mongolia or other parts of Central Asia as suggested by A.P.Okladnikov and others.This opinion seems to have been supported by the discovery ofprimitive miorotiths at Shih-yu in Shuo-hsien,Shansi Province.The discovery of thepresent site with its older geological stratification & typologically more primitivemicroliths has lent further weight to this opinion.As a mother of fact,the artifactsuncovered from the present site may well represent the earliest microlithic industry sofar discovered in China and neighbouring regions.