Chinese researchers have unearthed an over 10,000-year-old microblade technology site in the heart of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, the earliest known site of its kind to date. This groundbreaking find fills a gap in the region's prehistoric cultural history and offers crucial insights into early human migration and adaptation on the plateau, according to a report by the Science and Technology Daily.
The site was discovered by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology during their second Qinghai-Xizang scientific expedition.
The microblade technology site is one of the most abundant prehistoric human cultural heritages discovered on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, representing the large-scale migration and settlement activities of early humans in the region. Despite years of systematic excavation, sites with reliable dating are still rare, especially in the central regions of the plateau, according to the report.
The findings reveal that microblade production on the site primarily involved wedge-shaped and semi-conical cores. These characteristics closely resemble microblade technologies from the Late Paleolithic era in northern China.
Significantly, the site has been dated to between 11,000 and 10,000 years ago. This time frame not only outlines the early activities of microblade technology groups in the heart of the plateau, but also provides an essential chronological marker for understanding the evolution of prehistoric human culture in the region.
In addition to the archaeological discoveries, the research team integrated molecular biology findings, discovering that the migration of microblade technology groups into the plateau may be closely linked to the long-term occupation of the region by humans and the formation of modern populations in Xizang, according to the report.
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