Abstract

The Sino-American cooperative research group was created to investigate the transitional adaptation of arid-land hunter-gatherers from Later Paleolithic to Early Neolithic in northern China, and establish a firm chronology for these changes. Toward that end, the group conducted exploratory archaeological research in the Pigeon Mountain basin, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. Our research generally supports the predictions of a model of indigenous cultural development involving rapid technological elaboration and innovation in the production and use of chipped stone tools, and perhaps, ground stone associated with environmental change immediately before, during and immediately after the Younger Dryas interval. Moreover, we provide the first firm dates and chronological framework for these changes. At 12.7ka, microblades struck from boat-shaped and wedge-shaped pebble cores were in use, seed grinding tools were apparently present by 11.6ka, and retouched microblades were in use by 10.2ka. Our work contributes to the ability to recognize tool types and sets of tools diagnostic of the transitional period in Northern China.