Discovery of Quina technology challenges view of ancient human development in East Asia

While the middle peliolithic period is seen as a dynamic time in European and African history, it is usually considered a stable period in East Asia. The new research of the University of Washington challenges that perception.

Researchers discovered a full quina technical system – a method for creating a set of equipment in the Longton site in South -West China, which has been dated about 50,000 to 60,000 years ago. The Quina technology was found in Europe decades ago, but had never been found before in East Asia.

Team Published Its conclusions on 31 March Action of National Science Academy,

“It is a great disturbing way of thinking about that part of the world at that time,” said Archaeological co-writer Ben Marvik. “This really raises the question, what else people were doing during this period that we have not found yet? How is it changing how we think about people and human development in this field?”

The middle peliolithic, or the middle stone age, occurred around 300,000 to 40,000 years ago and is considered an important time in human development. This period is associated with the origin and development of modern humans in Africa. In Eurasia, it is associated with the development of many archaic human groups, such as Nendarthal and Denisovan. However, a widely conducted belief is that development in China was dull during most peliolithics.

The Quina system identified in China has been dated 55,000 years ago, which is in the same period as European Pata. This disputes the idea that the middle peliolithic was stable in the region and deepens the understanding of Homo Sapies, Denisovans and possibly other hominine.

The most specific part of the quina system is scraper – a stone tool that is usually thicker and odd with a broad and sharp working edge that consists of obvious signs of use and revival. Researchers found many of these, as well as sub -products of their construction. Small scratches and chips on the devices indicate that they were used to scratch and scratch bones, antles or wood.

Marvik said that now the question has become: How did this toolkit come to East Asia? Researchers will work to determine whether there is a direct relationship – people are slowly moving from west to east – or if the invention of technology was independently there was no direct contact between groups.

This will help if researchers can find an archaeological site with deep sets of layers, Marvik said, they can see which equipment has developed before the appearance of Quina Technology.

“We can try to see if they were already doing something that seemed to get out of Quina,” Marvik said, “said Marvik. “Then we can say that development seems more local – they were experimenting with various forms in the previous generations, and they eventually completed it. Alternatively, if the Quina appears without any signal of use, it suggests that it was transmitted from another group.”

There are many reasons that Quina Technology is currently found in East Asia. A factor, Marvik said, “It is that archaeologists working in China are learning more about archeology in other parts of the world and how to recognize his conclusions.” He said that the pace of research is also increasing, which means that archaeologists are more likely to find rare artifacts.

“The idea that nothing has changed in East Asia for so long, people also have tight grip,” Marvik said. “They are not considering the possibility of finding things that challenge. Now there are probably some scholars who are interested in questioning those ideas.”

Most archaeological discovery depends on fate, the said, but the future is to highlight human remains in a target area.

“This can answer the question whether these devices are products of modern human beings like you and me,” said Marvik. “Never has been found to be a Nieandarthal in East Asia, but can we find a niedarthal? Or, more likely, can we find a denisovan, which is another type of human ancestor? If we can find human remains associated with this period, we can surprise something – perhaps we are probably a new human ancestor that we do not even know.”