三峡井水湾旧石器遗址的自然环境

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF JINGSHUIWAN PALEOLITHIC SITE IN THE THREE GORGES REGION

井水湾旧石器遗址埋藏于三峡地区长江右岸第 2级基座阶地内。遗址出土丰富的石制品并伴生动物化石 ,石器工业是以砾石和大石片加工的大型砍砸器和刮削器为特征的我国南方砾石工业。光释光年代测定显示古人类生活在约 77～ 80kaBP前 ,属旧石器时代中期。孢粉分析显示该遗址使用者生活在温暖湿润的针叶、阔叶混交林—草原植被条件下 ,背山面河的地理环境和沿长江两岸的水资源和动植物资源为古人类提供了制作工具、生产和生活的相对稳定的自然环境。

The Jingshuiwan Paleolithic site, as one of the important Paleolithic sites in the Three Gorges Region, is buried in the second terrace of the right bank of the Yangtze River. This site was excavated from 1998 to 2002 for five successive seasons, exposing an area of about 2 121 m^2.Seven stratigraphic layers were identified at the site, with the total thickness of more than 21 m. Archaeological materials were mainly unearthed from the 7^(th) layer, a layer of fine sand, 2.0 m in thickness, 158～162 m above the sea-level,and in clear primary context. A total of 910 stone artifacts and some mammalian teeth and bones, including Stegodon, Cervids and Bovids, were unearthed from the site. The stone assemblage includes cores (304), flakes (382), stone hammers (4),chunks (102) and retouched tools (118).The stone tool industry includes choppers and scrapers manufactured with pebble and large flakes,showing close tie with the “Pebble Tool Tradition” in South China. Optically Stimulated Lumininescene dating on soil samples from the artifact-bearing layer has yielded an age close to 80 000 aBP, which places the Jingshuiwan industry to the Middle Paleolithic in China. Environmental analyses conclude that hominids at Jingshuiwan site were living in warm-moist climatic condition, indicated by the existence of coniferous trees, broad-leaf trees, and mixed forest-prairie vegetations.In a word, the unique natural environment with hills behind and the river in front as well as the resources of water and animals and vegetation along the Yangtze River provides a stable and comfortable environment for the ancient people to make tools,work and live at Jingshuiwan site.