Photo: CCTV

The Wenquan Paleolithic site in Ruzhou, Central China's Henan Province, has yielded a collection of Acheulean tools, including hand axes, thin-edged axes, and large stone knives. This marks the first discovery of such a tool assemblage in China's Central Plains region, filling a knowledge gap concerning the region's cultural development during the Paleolithic era, according to the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology.

"The Wenquan Paleolithic site covers an area of 100,000 square meters and dates back between 100,000 and 40,000 years ago - a critical period for the dispersal of modern humans and the emergence and development of their behaviors," Zhao Qingpo, an archaeologist from the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "The site has yielded abundant artifacts and possesses a well-preserved stratigraphy and a clear cultural sequence." 

From 2021 to 2023, an area of 485 square meters was excavated, uncovering more than 8,000 artifacts, including stone tools, animal fossils, and wooden remains.

In 2024, further surveys and explorations were conducted around the site, leading to the discovery of five new Paleolithic locations. Preliminary investigations indicate that the site extends southward.

Identifiable animal fossils unearthed at the site include Stegodon orientalis (a type of ancient elephant), cattle, horses, sheep, and deer, all of which belong to the Late Pleistocene fauna of northern China.

Based on the site's stratigraphy, the characteristics of the excavated stone tool assemblage and the animal fossils, preliminary assessments suggest that the site served as a temporary activity area where early humans collected raw materials from the riverbank to manufacture stone tools and process animal carcasses.

According to Zhao, the lithic industry at the site can be summarized as a simple core-flake industry. It evolved from an initial southern pebble industry through a large flake industry containing Acheulean tool assemblages, eventually developing into a small flake industry.

"These different technological systems coexisted and show a clear continuity," Zhao noted. "Such an Acheulean tool assemblage - including hand axes, thin-edged axes, and large stone knives - discovered in undisturbed stratigraphy is a rare find in China, filling a crucial gap in the region's Paleolithic cultural history."

The Wenquan Paleolithic site in Henan is a large open-air Paleolithic site dating to the middle and late stages of the period. 

It is notable for its vast scale, distinct cultural characteristics, significant academic value, and immense research potential, carrying important social and political implications, according to the CCTV News.

The Beiru River Basin in Henan is expected to become another key region in China with a concentrated display of Acheulean technology. 

This discovery provides crucial materials for studying major academic questions, including the technological connections between northern and southern China's Paleolithic industries, the relationship between Eastern and Western Paleolithic traditions, the transmission and evolution of Acheulean technology, and the origins of modern humans.