The Quina techno-complex in southwestern China and implications for human environmental adaptation

The Middle Paleolithic is a hotly debated issue in China, in particular with the intriguing findings in recent years in both northern and southern China. Here we present a new Middle Paleolithic site named the Longtan site located in the Heqing couty, Yunnan Province. The age of Longtan has been dated to ca. 60-50 ka. Lithic assemblage excavated from the site shows distinct technological and morphological features, with the Quina retouch being the most representative feature. Results show that Quina scrapers at the site were mainly made on thick and big-sized flake blanks and the functional edges exhibit scaled and invasive retouching scars. Resharpening flakes have also been identified, suggesting the existence of rejuvenation behavior and the lengthy use-life of Quina scrapers at Longtan. The finding of Quina-type lithic assemblage at the Longtan site provides key evidence for our understanding of the diversity and complexity of the Middle Paleolithic techno-complexes in China and relevant human environmental adaptations in the region.