OPTICALLY STIMULATED LUMINESCENCE DATING OF THE LOESS-PALEOLITHIC SITES AND PALEOENVIRONMENT VARIATIONS AT SUJIALING AND QINGSHUICHUANKOU IN JIN-SHAAN CANYON,NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CHINA
Numerous Paleolithic artifacts have been discovered in the Jin-Shaan Canyon area of middle reaches of Yellow River,Northern and Central China,whereas chronological constraints on these Paleolithic sites are still lacked.The Sujialing(SJL:35°48′46.58″N,110°33′28.12″E)and Qingshuichuankou(QSCK:39° 10′35.52″N,111 °09′44.41″E)loess-Paleolithic sites were recently discovered on the right bank of Yellow River's second and third terraces.The unique in-situ artifacts were found in loess deposits are primarily characterized by the combination of cores and flakes technology.These discoveries have provided an unprecedented insight into early human adaption and dispersals in the middle branch of Yellow River,Northern China.The SJL profile is approximately 17.1m thick,while QSCK is around 4.7m.In this study,14 samples for optically stimulated luminescence(OSL)were collected and measured using quartz single-aliquot regenerative-dose(SAR-OSL)and K-feldspar post-IR infrared(IR)stimulated luminescence(pIR200IR290)protocols to determine the ages of the loess sequences at the two sites.The quartz SAR-OSL and feldspar pIR200IR290 ages are in good agreement in the range of 25～50 ka.The feldspar ages are consistent with the expected age of S1 palaeosol(MIS 5).The OSL age of the stone tools found at SJL is between 25 ka to 76 ka,with the age of cores discovered in the bottom alluvial layer being between 76 ka to 95 ka.Similarly,the artifacts at QSCK range from 31 ka to 42 ka.Analyses of pedology characteristics,magnetic susceptibility,and grain-size evidence suggest that early human activities were predominantly living in interglacial(or interstadials)periods,a relatively warm and humid climate of Late Pleistocene in Jin-Shaan Canyon area favored survival of early humans;the small flake-core industry unearthed at the two newly discovered Paleolithic sites indicate extensive activities of early humans in the vast northern region of China,with Northern and Central China being a favorable habitat for Late Pleistocene human habitation.
万方数据
维普
