Format: Paper presentations with discussion
Convenors:
Shixia Yang, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, yangshixia@ivpp.ac.cn
Michael Petraglia, Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia,m.petraglia@griffith.edu.au
Xijun Ni, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, nixijun@ivpp.ac.cn
Yosuke Kaifu, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, gokaifu@gmail.com
Junyi Ge, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, gejunyi@ivpp.ac.cn
The past 300,000 years witnesses the origin and dispersal of our species, Homo sapiens, and the co-existence of other sister groups in the Late Quaternary, showing a complex evolutionary history. Eastern Asia, as a vast geographic area with diverse ecological niches, remains poorly understood, with the need to better understand the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens and their potential relationships with sister groups. This session is aimed at introducing new environmental, fossil, genetic and archaeological evidence from Eastern Asia over the past 300,000 years.
With growing interdisciplinary research, new information is being developed about the potential presence of multiple hominin lineages in Eastern Asia (e.g. early modern humans, Denisovans, H. longi and H. juluensis). Meanwhile, increased study of archaeological sites and assemblages has revealed cases of advanced tool kits and complex behaviours (e.g. ochre exploitation, advanced weaponry, beads). Given that new fossil and behavioural findings raise questions about the biological and cultural heritage of human populations, new multi- and inter-disciplinary research is needed across Eastern Asia
Papers:
Upper Palaeolithic Human Activities and Their Response to Climatic and Environmental Changes in Northeast China
Jianping Yue, Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Youqian Li, Heilongjiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Harbin, China
Shixia Yang, Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Australia
The Upper Palaeolithic (ca. 45~12 ka) witnessed not only significant climatic transition during the Quaternary, but the evolution, spread and adaptation of modern humans and their cultures. Relationships between human activities and paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes during the Upper Palaeolithic have long been the key issues in both archaeological studies and social concerns. Here, the overall examination of the Upper Palaeolithic cultural remains in northeast China indicates that there are clear temporal changes in site distribution, population size, lithic raw material procurement, blank debitage and tool production, corresponding to the prominent climatic events such as the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Bølling-Allerød interstadial. The deterioration of climate and environment during the LGM coincides with the shifts of human population structure and lithic industry, with the latter characterised by the appearance of the Northern Microblade Industry and the extensive exploitation of obsidian. During this period, the Changbaishan Mountains and surrounding areas might have functioned as an ecological refugium. Thereafter, environmental amelioration during the Bølling-Allerød warm period facilitates the florescence of human activities and the transformation of cultural system toward the far-reaching hunting-fishing Neolithic societies in northeast China
Long-term Human-environmental Interactions in Ancient China from the Perspective of Wood/Charcoal
Shen Hui, Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Xinying Zhou, Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Robert Spengler, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Germany
Xiaoqiang Li, Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Multidisciplinary research has revealed a deep history of human-environmental dynamics; although these pre-modern anthropogenic ecosystem transformations and cultural adaptions are still poorly understood. Here, we synthesise wood/charcoal data from China over the past 300,000 years. The results suggest that humans were not passively impacted by environmental change; rather, they culturally adapted to, and in turn altered, ecosystems. Since 300 ka BP, the extensive exploration, intentional selection, and even transportation of woods for crafting tools, highlight the significance of organic materials in the technological repertoire during the Palaeolithic period. Meanwhile, the wide use of controlled fire by humans probably left its mark on the evolution of natural fire. By the Holocene, the management of fruit trees was widely recognised prior to the establishment of complex agricultural systems. Since ca. 5,500 a BP, with the westward spread of millet agriculture, significant deforestation occurred, particularly the rapid decline of spruce forests and riparian woodlands in northwest China. By approximately 2,500 a BP, the network of trans-Eurasia exchange of crops and fruits had been established, which further underpinned the opening of the ancient Silk Road and deeply shaped the social and cultural landscapes across the Old World.
Unravelling the Mosaic: New Explorations on ‘Behavioural Modernity’ in East Asia
Shixia Yang, Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Australia
The emergence and global dispersal of Modern Human is one of the most profound scientific questions internationally. During the Middle to Late Pleistocene in Africa and western Eurasia, early modern humans engaged in complex biological and cultural interactions with archaic hominins such as Neanderthals, accompanied by systematic technological innovations and escalating behavioural complexity. Recent advances in palaeogenetics and fossil discoveries – including the identification of early modern human remains, Denisovan ancestry signals, and morphologically distinct taxa such as Homo longi (Dragon Man) and Homo juluensis – reveal exceptional hominin diversity in East Asia as well. Archaeological data, however, remain ambiguous in relation to demographic dynamics in this period. The long-held view is that the Pleistocene stone tool assemblages persistently exhibit simple core reduction strategies limited raw material selectivity, and minimal typological differentiation until ~40 ka. This talk will review the archaeological findings, and a series of new scientific studies focused on the past 300,000 years. These studies, covering the key period of the arising of modern human, are altering our views on a homogeneous and continuous record of the Palaeolithic in East Asia, and make us to rethink the ‘behavioural modernity’ process and its application to our evolutionary history.
Ma Yao, School of Sociology & Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Hou Yamei, Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
Liu Yang, School of Sociology & Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Shi Xinrui, School of Sociology & Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
The comparative study of prehistoric cultures between southern China and Southeast Asia is a focal point in international Palaeolithic archaeology. As a crucial intermediary connecting these two regions, Hainan Island serves as a key area for exploring related issues. Recent archaeological surveys and excavations in the Nanhuo River have provided significant new evidence for this research. The survey identified 30 new lithic sites, yielding over 1,100 stone artefacts. Excavations at Site 1 revealed more than 5,000 stone artefacts across seven cultural layers, demonstrating diachronic changes. Preliminary studies indicate that the lithic assemblage, primarily made from pebbles, includes tool types such as unifacially steep-edged choppers, split-cobble tools, and handpicks, which are commonly found in the pebble-tool industries of southern China and in the Son Vi, Hoabinihian, and Bắc Sơn of Southeast Asia. Notably, typical Hoabinihian artefacts, such as Sumatralith and short axes, were also identified. Technologically, these artefacts exhibit both the general characteristics of the southern Chinese cobble-tool tradition and cultural elements associated with Southeast Asia from the Late Pleistocene to the Early Holocene. These discoveries address gaps in prehistoric open-air site records, highlighting Hainan Island’s role as a cultural bridge between southern China and Southeast Asia through diverse interactions.
Simulating Archaic-modern Human Interbreeding in Late Pleistocene Eurasia
Zijian Zhang and Jiaoyang Ruan, IBS Center for Climate Physics, South Korea
Present-day humans carry archaic DNA from interbreeding with archaic hominins, namely Neanderthals and Denisovans. Palaeogenomic data suggest Neanderthal admixture occurred ~51–43 ka, but specific locations and subsequent evolution of archaic ancestry remain poorly resolved due to limited sampling. We simulated archaic-modern human interbreeding in late glacial Eurasia using a partial differential equation model, in conjunction with an independent agent-based model. Driven by spatiotemporally varying climates, both models indicate Neanderthal admixture began in southwestern Asia and continued across mid-high latitude Eurasia by ~40 ka, resulting in highest Neanderthal ancestry among late Last Glacial Europeans, followed by East and Central Asians. Simulated patterns—a west-to-east decreasing gradient in Europe and relatively flat longitudinal gradient in Asia—align with existing palaeogenomic evidence. Our models predict Denisovan admixture across vast areas of Asia, leading to highest archaic ancestry levels among East Asians before the Holocene. Parameter sensitivity analyses highlight the influence of climate conditions and modern human dispersal timing and routes on admixture patterns. Our simulations provide a spatiotemporal framework for understanding archaic admixture dynamics by integrating insights from ancient DNA.
The Sister Group of Homo sapiens and the Deep Splits of Homo Clades in Asia
Xijun Ni, Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; PalaeoAnthropological Research Centre, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Chris Stringer, Centre for Human Evolution Research, Natural History Museum, London, UK
It is widely proposed that the origin of Homo sapiens is sometime around 0.3 ~ 1 Ma. However, some recent genealogical models based on modern and ancient human genomes have revealed very deep roots older than 1 Ma. In particular, a recent structured coalescent model showed that there are 2 possible ancestral populations within H. sapiens that diverged about 1.5 Ma ago. We perform phylogenetic analyses using parsimonious criteria and Bayesian tip-dating based on a total evidence data matrix including all major Homo species/populations from Africa, Europe, and Asia. The results show that several distinct clades, which should probably be considered species, coexisted in Asia during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. There were at least Homo erectus, Homo floresiensis, H. neanderthalensis, Homo longi and H. sapiens. The hitherto mysterious Denisovans are actually a population of H. longi, the sister group of H. sapiens, found at many Homo sites in Asia. The Yunxian Homo is the oldest known population of H. longi and chronologically close to the last common ancestor of H. sapiens and H. longi. The Bayesian tip-dating estimate of the divergence time between H. neanderthalensis, H. sapiens, and H. longi is similar to that derived from coalescent models.
Palaeolithic Seafaring in East Asia: Theory, Experimental Voyage, and Simulation
Yousuke Kaifu, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan; Dept of Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Japan
Yu-Lin K. Chang, Application Laboratory, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan
Yasumasa Miyazawa, Application Laboratory, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan
Xinyu Guo, Application Laboratory, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan; Centre for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Japan
Sergey Varlamov, Application Laboratory, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan
Haiyan Yang, Centre for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Japan; Beijing Pioneer High-tech Development Corporation Ltd., China
Chih-Hsing Lin, Lanzhou St., Taitung City, Taiwan
The rise of voyaging technology beyond nearshore boating during the Palaeolithic was crucial for early modern humans to exponentially expand their habitable territory on the globe. However, apart from intensive discussion on Wallacea and Sahul, the developmental process and regional variation of the Late Pleistocene seafaring remain unclear. To contribute this issue, we present a synthetic model for Palaeolithic seafaring in another region of the western Pacific, the Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan. Here, some of the islands were more than 100 km away and invisible below the horizon, and one of the world’s strongest ocean currents, the Kuroshio, intervened in the seaways. Despite these challenging situations, Palaeolithic sites appeared throughout much of the 1,200 km chain of the islands ~35,000–30,000 years ago. By integrating currently available information, we discuss probable migration routes, possible watercraft, strategy needed for successful maritime migrations in the region, and other issues relevant to deeper understanding of the origins and development of human maritime transportation. Our theoretical, experimental, and simulation studies support the early development of functional boats, such as dugouts, while highlighting that the sea travels in the Late Pleistocene Ryukyus was possible only for experienced paddlers with advanced navigational skills and strategic challenges.
Climate and Cultural Evolution Drove Holocene Cropland Change in the Huai River Valley, China
Yanyan Yu, Haibin Wu, Wenchao Zhang, State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric and Environmental Coevolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Nicole Boivin, Max Planck Institute for Geoarchaeology, Jena, Germany
Jie Yu, Juzhong Zhang, Xin Zhou, Wuhong Luo, Chenglong Deng, Junyi Ge, and Zhengtang Guo, State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric and Environmental Coevolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
As an important way of maximising land productivity by growing more than one crop type in the same field, mixed cropping has been an effective option for sustaining population growth under different climatic conditions since prehistoric period. We used a combination of archaeological data and an improved prehistoric land use model to quantitatively reconstruct spatiotemporal changes in cropland types and areas in the Huai River Valley of China, a core region of mixed cropping during the Holocene. The total cropland area increased more than 25 times during 8–2 ka BP, with northward expansion of rice-dominated cultivation during 5–4 ka BP and southward expansion of dry-dominated cultivation after 4 ka BP. Temperature and precipitation determined cropland types distribution, while that of cropland area was controlled by cultural development. The interplay between past climate, culture, and cultivation potentially provides useful insights into mitigating future population pressures with climate change.
Peopling of the Tibetan Plateau
Xiaoling Zhang, Shejiang Wang, and Xing Gao, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Palaeoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
The Tibetan Plateau holds a significant position in environmental and biological evolution but has long been considered a “forbidden zone” for human habitation. With the advancement of archaeological work, the knapped lithic remains on the plateau encompass technologies such as core-flake, blade, microblade, and handaxe.
Handaxe technology had spread to the south-eastern edge of Tibetan Plateau before 130 ka, represented by the Piluo site. Blade assemblages are discovered concentrated around Siling Co. Due to the paucity of archaeological findings, it is difficult to determine the exact dispersal routes of blade technology so far. More than one hundred localities on the plateau suggest that microblade technology reached the northeastern part of the Plateau from North China around 14~10 ka BP, then spread across the plateau at 8~7 ka BP. Core-flake technology was also widespread on Tibetan Plateau. On the northeastern side, Denisovans’ mtDNA as early as 190 ka ago and core-flake remains in slightly upper cultural layers are found in Baishiya Karst Cave.
Therefore, due to environmental and historical factors, the quantity and quality of archaeological work on the Plateau are insufficient. Further systematic investigation, excavation and multidisciplinary research are needed.