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Discovery of Neanderthal-Style Tools in China Challenges Views on Ancient East Asian Innovation

Quina tools, previously found only in Europe and the Middle East, have been unearthed at a 50,000-60,000-year-old site in China, prompting debates over their origins and implications for human evolution.

The discovery marks the first time the style of stone tool associated with Neanderthals, called Quina, has been found in East Asia, the study team said.
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Did Neanderthals make it as far east as China? Discovery of stone tools suggests it’s a possibility

Overview

  • Researchers uncovered Quina stone tools at the Longtan site in southwest China, marking the first such discovery in East Asia.
  • The tools, dated to 50,000-60,000 years ago, resemble those made by Neanderthals in Europe, raising questions about independent invention or cultural transmission through migration.
  • No human remains have been found at Longtan, leaving the identity of the toolmakers uncertain, with hypotheses including Denisovans, Neanderthals, or an unknown human species.
  • The tools’ presence challenges the long-held view that Middle Paleolithic East Asia was technologically stagnant compared to Europe and Africa.
  • Future excavations aim to explore deeper layers at Longtan and other sites to trace the origins of this technology and its creators.