The Paleolithic period in eastern and southern Asia has been labeled as an area of cultural retardation compared to Western Europe because of a lack of evidence and long-held assumptions about early human tool use. Needed to test this idea is information on the range of variation in early Asian tool assemblages. In this project, the researcher will study the technological and typological characteristics of Paleolithic stone tool assemblages from eight sites in China and India. Data will be collected on manufacturing techniques and use, as well as factors affecting the assemblages such as raw material availability. Replication experiments will be conducted. This project will help establish a much needed basis for identifying variability and inferences about human technology and behavior in south and east Asia during the Middle Pleistocene.
