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Journal of Arid Environments 91 (2013) 129e137

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Journal of Arid Environments

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Age and paleoenvironment of Paleolithic stone artifact remains discovered in the Tengger Desert, northern China

X. Sun a,*,H.Lua,S.Yia, B. Jean-Jacques b a School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, The MOE Key Lab of Coast and Island Development, Nanjing University, No. 22 Hankou Road, 210093 Nanjing, China b Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Département de Préhistoire, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France article info abstract

Article history: In northern China, environmental changes in the transitional zone from the sandy desert to the loess Received 4 September 2011 plateau have been regarded as an important issue in the understanding of climate changes and the Received in revised form remains of hominin activities found in this zone provide a solid line of evidence to support the recon- 30 November 2012 struction of environmental conditions during the late Pleistocene. In 2006, many stone artifacts were Accepted 25 December 2012 collected on the surface in the southeastern Tengger Desert, Northern China. The Tengger lithic Available online assemblage is correlated to the Late Middle to Early Upper Paleolithic stage and with the typical and extensively investigated Shuidonggou site some 140 km northeeast of the Tengger localities. In order to Keywords: Environmental change evaluate both the age and the environmental conditions prevailing during human occupation despite the Late MiddleeEarly Upper paleolithic lack of associated stratigraphies, we have tried to place the Tengger localities into the Late Pleistocene Late Pleistocene climatic framework using the available published data provided by Mu Us Desert sandeloess sections Loessedesert transitional zone and records of Tengger paleolake levels, respectively eastwards and westwards from the newly discovered localities. Additionally, an unpublished sandeloess section was studied by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) near Zhongwei city, around 170 km to the south. All the data suggests that the optimal time for hominin activity in the Tengger Desert would have been from 42 to 22 ka, during a period of relatively humid conditions when the climate of the area was governed by the strengthened summer East Asian monsoon. Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction 2005; Sun et al., 2006; Yang and Liu, 2003; Zhao et al., 2007; Zhou et al., 2009). The deserteloess transitional zone in northern China is an This zone has also been suggested as a potential area for locating informative area for studying climatic changes and, more generally, records of the activities of Middle and Upper Paleolithic hominins. climatic variations during the late Pleistocene in the Northern It is likely that the dry/wet climatic variations of this zone had Hemisphere (Lu et al., 2005; Madsen et al., 2003; Mason et al., a substantial effect on hominin activities and migrations 2009; Sun and Ding, 1998; Sun et al., 2006; Yang and Liu, 2003; (Brantingham et al., 2001, 2003, 2004; Barton et al., 2007; Gao et al., Zhou et al., 2009). At present, this transitional zone displays a dis- 2008), because the strengthened East Asian summer monsoon may tinctive climate dominated by wet/dry changes with seasonal var- have allowed intensive hominin occupation of the cold desert en- iations. In the area, relict sand sheets and dune sediments, vironments of northern China. Therefore, the remains of hominin characterized by alternating sandy loam soils and sand units, have activity in this transitional zone may provide solid evidence to recorded the response of eolian activity attributed to the support human occupation and hence help to reconstruct Pleisto- strengthening and weakening of the East Asian monsoon during cene environments. Numerous Paleolithic remains have been found the Upper Pleistocene (Dong, 2002). Additionally, both the paleo- in the loess deposits close to sand ﬁelds and deserts in northern- lake ﬂuctuations and sandeloess sections have been investigated central and north-eastern China (Chen and Wang, 1989; Gai and many times in an effort to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental Wei, 1977; Gao et al., 2004; Huang and Hou, 2003; Jia and Huang, changes in this sensitive zone (Li et al., 2007, 2002; Lu et al., 2006, 1985; Licent & Teilhard de Chardin, 1925; Wang et al., 1978, 1982, 2007; Zhang, 1959), but few stone artifacts have been discovered in the present-day desert environment.

* Corresponding author. During a survey in 2006, we discovered stone artifacts in semi- E-mail address: [email protected] (X. Sun). active and mobile dunes in the south-eastern Tengger Desert,

130 X. Sun et al. / Journal of Arid Environments 91 (2013) 129e137 northern China. In this paper, these artifacts, attributed to a unique At Tengger 1, the dunes are approximately 5e8 m high and 10e Paleolithic culture located deep within the deserteloess transi- 20 m apart. A total of 173 stone artifacts were collected, con- tional zone of northern China, are described for the first time. Pa- centrated within an area of approximately 100 square meters leoclimatic regional records have been used to estimate their (Table 1). The Tengger 2 and Tengger 3 localities are less than 200 m antiquity and environmental context. apart. The dunes in this area are smaller, with a height of 3e4 m and a spacing of 40e50 m. The artifacts were found in a large inter-dune basin. At Tengger 2, 34 artifacts (Table 1) were collected from an 2. Paleolithic localities of the Tengger Desert area covering approximately 500 square meters. The Tengger 3 locality yielded 71 artifacts (Table 1) from a large area of approx- e The Tengger Desert is located in the loess desert transitional imately 1000 square meters. e zone south west of Alashan Zuoqi city, central Inner Mongolia The Tengger lithic assemblages are dominated by flakes that are Autonomous Region, near the Yellow River Basin in northern generally of small size. A total of 11 cores were found in the Tengger China (Figs. 1 and 2). The current climate of the Tengger Desert is localities. They are small and similar in size, only three being larger e arid, with an annual average temperature of 7 9 C, an annual than 6 cm (Fig. 4). They have various shapes, including simple e e rainfall of 116 148 mm and annual evaporation of 3000 discoid cores, complex discoid cores and uni/bipolar cores. They do 3600 mm. The desert consists primarily of mobile dunes that not appear to have produced a large number of flakes, with four to fi occupy 70% of the total area. A small number of xed and semi- 20 flaking scars on the cores. fi xed sand dunes appear only at the margins of the desert. In The lithic tools include scrapers, points, denticulates (Fig. 4) the study area, the chains of sand dunes are small, principally and pitted hammerstones (Fig. 5). The dominant tool types are comprising crescent dunes. Scattered small lakes make up 7% of scrapers and points. Among the scrapers, a fine bifacially the desert area. Most are shallow or have become swamps with retouched scraper was discovered at Tengger 3. Its raw material herbaceous vegetation, and are surrounded by moving dunes. is light-colored flint, with some cortex. This piece bears two Some lakes at the south-eastern margin of the desert near the functional units (Fig. 4b): a point, and a cutting edge resembling Helan Mountains appear to be related to groundwater supplied by a saw. The right-hand side of this scraper may be the handle alluvial fans (Madsen et al., 2003). Most of the Tengger lakes are part, with the opposite side being the functional unit. The freshwater lakes. operational scheme suggests that this tool was designed well for An area located to the west of the road between Alashan Zuoqi its purpose, and was produced by retouching with soft-hammer e city and Moon Lake 30 km south west of the city is the principal percussion. site of our archeological research. Three localities with abundant The raw materials of the stone artifacts in the Tengger localities stone artifacts have been discovered (Figs. 2 and 3): Tengger 1 (N fl 0 00 0 00 0 00 include light-colored quartzite, quartz sandstone and int. 38 35 59.4 ,E10530 27.1 ), Tengger 2 (N 38 35 17.3 ,E > 0 00 0 00 0 00 Quartzite is dominant ( 90%). The texture of the quartzite is hard, 105 27 56 ) and Tengger 3 (N 38 35 22.1 ,E10527 49.9 ). All and most of the quartzite artifacts are milk-yellow. The quartzite artifacts found on the surface in this area were collected and artifacts were manufactured using round or irregularly shaped labeled. pebbles and cobbles, which are readily found on the alluvial fans approximately 20e30 km to the east, at the base of the Helan Mountains. Thus, the Tengger lithic assemblage is composed of small stone tools manufactured from high-quality quartzite cobbles by direct percussion using a hard hammer, as supported by the discovery of several pitted hammerstones. The outstanding characteristics of the Tengger lithic assemblage are as follows: 1) cores, flakes, scrapers and points are the principal classes; 2) cores are mainly discoid; 3) skilled bifacial techniques are evi- dent, for which soft-hammer technology has been used. These characteristics appear to link the Tengger lithic assemblage with the Late MiddleeEarly Upper Paleolithic flake-tool tradition of northern China. Stone artifacts found on the surface in and near the sand fields and deserts of Inner Mongolia, Ninxia, and Xinjiang prov- inces are generally regarded as having been produced by different groups of people at different times. We acknowledge the possibility that the Tengger site may not be a single-component site. Homologous hominin groups may have manufactured the Tengger artifacts in the same time periods, but it is also possible that other groups produced some of the artifacts at different times.

e Fig. 1. Map showing the desert loess transitional zone and the sites mentioned in 3. Upper Paleolithic in northern China the text. The Tengger site is surrounded by the Zhongwei sandeloess section site, the Shuidonggou paleolithic site, paleolake records in the Tengger Desert, and the sites of sandeloess sections investigated in the Mu Us Desert and the Loess Plateau. When In northern-central China, the initial Upper Paleolithic assem- this area is controlled by the strengthened winter East Asian monsoon, north- blages are generally characterized by the presence of blades or westerly winds bring cold air to the desert area, and dust storms prevail. When microblades. These technologies are characteristic of both Middle the area is controlled by the strengthened summer East Asian monsoon, south- and Upper Paleolithic traditions (Chen and Wang, 1989; Hou, 2005; easterly winds are dominant and bring humid maritime air masses originating ﬁ from the South China Sea and the western Paciﬁc Ocean as the dominant air masses Li, 1993) and it is dif cult to distinguish Middle Paleolithic from in this desert area. Upper Paleolithic assemblages. Lithic technology changed relatively Author's personal copy

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Fig. 2. Map showing Alashan Zuoqi city, road, and the three newly discovered Tengger localities. little until the Late Upper Paleolithic stage at many sites in China, to support the division of the Chinese Paleolithic into an early and with blade or microblade technology remaining a minor compo- a late stage. The speciﬁc justiﬁcation for this view is the absence of nent in lithic assemblages. Many Western paleoanthropologists a distinct tool industry occurring between the Lower and Upper familiar with the Chinese and broader eastern Asian record appear Paleolithic. However, most Chinese authorities still adopt the

Fig. 3. Views of the Tengger Desert localities. Author's personal copy

132 X. Sun et al. / Journal of Arid Environments 91 (2013) 129e137

Table 1 and PY03 (Bettinger et al., 2003). To a certain extent, blade and Inventory of the lithic assemblages discovered in Tengger localities. microblade technology is a recurrent feature of the Upper Paleo- Type Quantity Percentage Type Quantity lithic along the northern deserteloess transitional zone and deep Tengger 1 locality into the sand fields. Therefore, based on the methods of core Cores 7 4.05% Undifferentiated cores 2 reduction used, the retouching techniques, the dominant charac- Uni/bipolar core 1 teristics of the morphology and the absence of bladelet cores and Discoid cores 4 blade tools, the Tengger stone artifacts belong primarily to the Early Flakes 56 32.37% Chunks 20 11.56% Upper Paleolithic. The complete absence of microblade technology Debris 71 41.04% would seem to be crucial to this argument. Formal tools 19 10.98% Pitted hammerstones 4 Scrapers 9 4. Geological correlations in the loessedesert transitional Points 4 zone Denticulated tools 2 Total 173 100.00% Tengger 2 locality Previous investigations (Brantingham et al., 2001, 2003, 2004; Core 1 2.94% Barton et al., 2007; Gao et al., 2008) have shown that climatic Flakes 12 35.30% changes had a substantial effect on Middle to Upper Paleolithic Chunks 13 38.23% Debris 5 14.71% cultural evolution in northern China. Calibrated radiocarbon age Formal tools 3 8.82% Pitted hammerstone 1 ranges at more than 40 Late Pleistocene archeological sites in Scraper 1 north-eastern China have provided evidence that 45.0e24.0 ka and Point 1 18.0e10.0 ka were important periods for hominin activity and Total 34 100.00% expansion, whereas the period 24.0e18.0 ka seems to have been Tengger 3 locality Core 3 1.73% Undifferentiated cores 1 characterized by depopulation (Barton et al., 2007). During the Uni/bipolar core 1 latter period, the dramatic range expansions of hominin pop- Discoid core 1 ulations might have produced an intensive occupation of cold Flakes 32 45.07% desert environments, including north-western China and the Chunks 28 39.43% Formal tools 8 11.27% Pitted hammerstones 2 Mongolian Gobi (Brantingham et al., 2003). Scrapers 4 In the Tengger localities, the artifacts lying on the surface be- Points 2 tween the inter-dune basins are of little help in establishing Total 71 100.00% a chronological framework for hominin occupation in the area. We have therefore tried to locate a sandeloess section around these Paleolithic localities that would allow a reconstruction of the concept of a Middle Paleolithic stage. The transitional period be- stratigraphy and paleoenvironment of the area during the period of tween the Middle and Upper Paleolithic in northern-central China human settlement. Because mobile dunes and semi-fixed sand has been dated during the last forty years (An, 1983; Chen, 1988; dunes cover a larger area today than during the Pleistocene, it is Elston et al., 1997; Madsen et al., 2001; Shen and Wang, 2000), with impossible to find any preserved stratigraphic sequence in the vi- the suggested dates ranging from 40 to 35 ka (Huang, 2000). cinity of the sites. However, a section (N 3721.0800,E10514.2580) The Tengger assemblage represents an industry consisting of preserved at the edge of the desert near Zhongwei city, approx- small stone tools, but despite the high proportion of small pieces, imately 170 km south of the Tengger localities (Fig.1), which we can this assemblage is by no means a microlithic occurrence. It shows easily link to the Mu Us Desert sections described by Lu et al. characteristics similar to those of the flake-tool industry in (2005), furnishes some indications. Other information can be northern-central China, such as at Zhoukoudian locality 15 (Gao, obtained from the Upper Paleolithic site at Shuidonggou in the 2000, 2001), the Xujiayao site (Jia et al., 1979), and the Xiao- vicinity of the Mu Us sand field near the Yellow River valley. Lastly, nanhai site (An, 1965; Chen et al., 2010). In fact, the closest com- previous analyses of the Tengger paleolake records in the vicinity of parable site is the Shuidonggou site (N 3817049.300,E10630045.000) the new localities furnish additional paleoenvironmental data for approximately 140 km east of the Tengger Desert (Fig. 1). the Upper Pleistocene. The Shuidonggou site is located in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region at the edge of the Mu Us sand field in the deserteloess 4.1. The Zhongwei sequence and the Mu Us sand-loess record transitional zone. Since its discovery in the early 20th Century, it has long been regarded as a unique site within the northern Chi- The Zhongwei sequence is located at the south-western margin nese Paleolithic sequence, with Levallois-like cores, blades, of the Mu Us Desert, close to the Yellow River (Fig. 1). The 6-m thick retouched blade tools, and bifacial retouched tools, and it is gen- sedimentary profile includes the following layers (Fig. 6) from top erally considered that it corresponds to the initial Upper Paleolithic to bottom: stage (Brantingham et al., 2004; Gao et al., 2004, 2002; Hou, 2005; Jia et al., 1964; Li, 1993; Licent & Teilhard de Chardin, 1925). No 1 Sandy loess, depth 0e1 m, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3 in dry color, evidence of blade technology was found in the Tengger assemblage. Munsell card), moderately hard, many plant roots and bio- However, some similarities with Upper Paleolithic assemblages can logical channels. be underlined, such as the presence of burins and the use of soft- 2 Sand, depth 1e4.5 m, pale yellow (2.5Y 8/3 in dry color, Mun- hammer technology, demonstrated by bifacial retouched tools sell card), loose, few biological channels. and cores. 3 Sandy loess, depth 4.5e6 m, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3 in dry color, Data from a recent archeological survey in Ningxia Province Munsell card), hard, no vertical cleavage, few biological along the deserteloess transition zone demonstrates that a blade channels. technology similar to that at Shuidonggou occurred over a much broader area than previously thought (Gao et al., 2004). Blades and Six core samples (labeled Zhongwei-1 to Zhongwei-6 from top microblades have also been found at other sites along the deserte to bottom of the section) were collected for independent optically loess transition zone, such as Pigeon Mountain (Elston et al., 1997) stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of previously cleaned Author's personal copy

X. Sun et al. / Journal of Arid Environments 91 (2013) 129e137 133

Fig. 4. Lithic artifacts recovered from Tengger localities. Discoid core (a), scrapers (c, g, and i), points (e), and denticulated tools (h and j) were collected at Tengger 1; point (d) from Tengger 2; bifacial scraper (b) and points (f) from Tenger 3.

Fig. 5. Two pitted hammerstones from Tengger 1 (a) and Tengger 3 (b). Author's personal copy

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130 C, and detection was performed using a 7.5 mm-thick Hoya U- 340 optical filter (Bøtter-Jensen et al., 1999). All of these measurements were performed in the Luminescence Dating Laboratory at Nanjing University. The concentrations of U, Th and K were meas- ured by neutron-activation analysis (NNA). The cosmic-ray dose was calculated from the present-day burial depth (Prescott and Hutton, 1994). To determine the appropriate preheating conditions, a preheat plateau test was conducted using a range of preheat temperatures from 160 to 300 Cin20C intervals, with a cut-heat of 160 C. A preheat temperature of 220 C for 10 s and a cut-heat of 160 C were selected for De determination. A dose recovery test to check the performance of the SAR protocol showed highly reproducible results across a large plateau region (160e260 C preheat), indi- cating successful correction of sensitivity changes. Aliquots with a recycling ratio falling outside the range 1.0 0.1 were discarded in De determination. The sample characteristics and OSL dating results are given in Table 2. The upper sandeloess layer was dated at between 7.97 0.33 ka and 9.77 0.55 ka (Zhongwei-1 and Zhongwei-2). The ages of the sand layers ranged in sequence from 11.09 0.66 ka to 15.24 1.02 ka (Zhongwei-3 and Zhongwei-4), and the lower loess layer at the base provided two dates of 47.57 2.36 and 45.53 2.49 ka (Zhongwei-5 and Zhongwei-6). From the stratigraphic sequence and OSL ages, it is now possible Fig. 6. Stratigraphic section of Zhongwei showing depths and OSL ages. to propose the following paleoenvironmental reconstruction for the Zhongwei section. From 45.5 to 47.5 ka, the climate of this area was relatively humid and was controlled by the strengthened East sections. At Zhongwei-1, the first sandeloess layer was sampled at Asian summer monsoon. A large gap occurs in the deposits be- a depth of 0.3 m. At Zhongwei-2, Zhongwei-3 and Zhongwei-4 the tween 45.5 and 15.2 ka. The climate became extremely dry from sand layer was sampled at depths of 0.95 m, 1.60 m, and 4.00 m, 15.2 to 11.1 ka, when the area was dominated by the strengthened respectively. Zhongwei-5 and Zhongwei-6 were sampled in the East Asian winter monsoon. Then, from 9.8 to 7.9 ka, it again sandeloess layer at depths of 4.65 m and 6 m, respectively. became relatively humid. The OLS procedure was carried out in the laboratory under Studies of sandeloess sections in the transition zone, e.g. Mu Us subdued orange light as follows: the ends of the core samples that and the western margin of the Loess Plateau (Fig. 1), have allowed had been exposed to daylight during sampling were removed and the wet/dry variations in this region during the past 60 ka to be well used for water content measurements, and to determine the radi- reconstructed from stratigraphic successions (Lu et al., 2006, 2005; oisotopic content of U, Th and K. The unexposed sand and sande Mason et al., 2009; Stevens and Lu, 2009; Stevens et al., 2008; Zhou loess samples were prepared for extraction of pure quartz grains. et al., 2009). The local climate was wet only during the periods from These were treated with 3N HCl to remove carbonates and and 3N 41.5 to 26.0 ka and from 8.0 to 2.4 ka, as indicated by the formation H2O2 to remove organic matter. The grains were then left in a 30% of soils. At all other times the area has been relatively dry and was solution of fluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6) for one week and then washed marked by sand or sandy loess deposits (Fig. 7). Comparison be- with HCl to remove precipitated fluorides. The quartz grains were tween the Zhongwei section and the reconstructed wet/dry varia- then mounted in a single layer with a 5 mm spray mask on 9.8 mm tions indicates that the environmental backgrounds of Zhongwei diameter aluminum disks using silicone spray oil. The purity of the and Mu Us are analogous. isolated quartz grains was checked by infrared stimulation to ensure that no significant infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals were detected from the quartz. 4.2. The Shuidonggou Paleolithic site The single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol was adop- ted to determine the equivalent dose (De) (Murray and Wintle, Many archeologists have dated the Shuidonggou localities 2000). OSL measurements were performed with a Risø TL/OSL- (Chen, 1988; Madsen et al., 2001; Gao et al., 2002, 2008). Strati- DA-20C/D reader. Irradiation was performed with a 90Sr/90Y beta graphic, paleoenvironmental and geochronological data were source mounted on the reader and calibrated for 40e63 mm grains. recently synthetized by Gao et al. (2008) and indicate two phases of The grains were stimulated by blue LEDs (470 20 nm) for 40 s at hominin occupationda Paleolithic stage, between 30 and 24 ka,

Table 2 Summary of radioactive data, water content, equivalent dose, dose rate and OSL ages obtained for the Zhongwei section samples.

Sample no. Depth(m) U(ppm) Th(ppm) K(%) Water Dose DE(Gy) Age(ka) content(%) rate(Gy/ka) Zhongwei-1 0.30 2.65 0.16 9.70 0.29 1.82 0.07 0.9 3.30 0.08 26.26 0.90 7.97 0.33 Zhongwei-2 0.95 2.92 0.15 1.06 0.31 1.88 0.07 0.8 3.38 0.07 32.97 1.68 9.77 0.55 Zhongwei-3 1.60 2.34 0.13 8.52 0.27 1.63 0.06 0.7 2.92 0.07 32.97 1.75 11.09 0.66 Zhongwei-4 4.00 2.14 0.13 7.56 0.23 1.85 0.07 1.8 2.93 0.08 44.73 2.76 15.24 1.02 Zhongwei-5 4.65 3.42 0.16 12.7 0.36 1.77 0.06 7.5 3.51 0.09 166.84 7.13 47.57 2.36 Zhongwei-6 6.00 2.90 0.16 10.8 0.31 1.72 0.06 6.0 3.23 0.08 147.02 7.20 45.53 2.49 Author's personal copy

X. Sun et al. / Journal of Arid Environments 91 (2013) 129e137 135

Fig. 7. Comparison of background paleoclimate and paleoenvironment in the Tengger Desert area and the possible age of the Tengger Paleolithic hominins (a dash indicates that no record was found). and a Neolithic stage between 9 and 5 ka (Fig. 7). From 30 to 24 ka, paleosoil development and the presence of some vegetation at the the paleoclimate in Shuidonggou was relatively warm and humid. margin of the Tengger Desert. From 57 to 42 ka and from 22 to Palynological data suggests that the vegetation consisted of 10 ka, no records of paleolakes have been found. Sand was the only a grassland environment with some sparse broad-leaved forest. deposit during those two extreme dry periods (Fig. 7) and the Numerous animal species were also present at this time, offering south-eastern Tengger Desert was either covered by mobile dunes optimal living and hunting conditions for hominins (Gao et al., similar to those today, or had deteriorated even further. From 2008). There is no evidence of the presence of hominins between a paleoenvironmental perspective, the only two optimal periods for 24 ka and 9 ka, which coincided with a glacial period when envi- hominin occupation of the Tengger Desert in the past 60 ka were ronmental degradation occurred, animals left the area and the 42e22 ka and 8.0e2.4 ka, when the paleoenvironment was rela- availability of food resources declined. It is probable that these tively humid and appropriate for hominin settlement and the events resulted in hominin migration from the area. Between 9 and modern zone of mobile dunes was covered by plants that permitted 5 ka, Neolithic humans appeared at this site as the environment the development of soils. improved. It is therefore clear that paleoenvironmental changes in Shuidonggou had a substantial effect on the activities of hominins. 4.4. Climatic synthesis

4.3. Paleolake fluctuations A synthesis of the climatic data available for the Late Pleistocene around the Tengger localities is shown in Fig. 7 based on wet/dry As previously mentioned, the paleoclimate changed substan- variations in Mu Us and paleolake level fluctuations in the Tengger tially in the transitional zone during the Late Pleistocene. Re- Desert. The Tengger localities are approximately 140 km southe constructions based on eolian deposits have been informatively west of Shuidonggou and are deep within the Tengger Desert, but compared with reconstructions of paleolake level fluctuations in the paleoenvironments in both areas seem to have evolved in the Tengger Desert, with the help of 14C dating (Wunnemann et al., parallel. Considering the sandeloess sections and data on paleolake 1998; Zhang and Wunnemann,1997; Zhang et al., 2001, 2004). High levels, from 42 ka to approximatively 24 ka the climate of this zone lake levels occurred from 42 to 22 ka and from 8.0 to 2.4 ka, and the was dominated by the strengthened summer East Asian monsoon, eolian records during this period reveal a wetter phase with although with a notable change around 34 ka when a decrease in Author's personal copy

136 X. Sun et al. / Journal of Arid Environments 91 (2013) 129e137 paleolake levels indicates an aridity increase. This also occurred in Appendix A. Supplementary data the Qingwang Chuan Basin located 250 km north of the Tengger sites (Long et al., 2011). Lu et al. (2005) had also found a short, dry Supplementary data related to this article can be found at http:// event around 37 ka in Mu Us. The 34e24 ka period was also the dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.12.012. primary period of hominin activity at Shuidonggou. Thus it was also an optimal period for hominins to live and hunt on the south- eastern margin of the Tengger Desert. During the glacial period of References 24e9 ka, sand deposition increased in the desert areas and lakes disappeared. The environment at the Tengger localities would have An, Z.M., 1965. Trial excavation of the Paleolithic cave of Hsiao-nan-hai in Anyang, Honan. Acta Archaeologica Sinica 1, 1e26. been at this time harsher than the environment at the Shuidonggou An, Z.M., 1983. Carbon-14 dating and its problems of the late Paleolithic in China. site, where there is also no evidence of hominin presence. Similarly, Acta Anthropologica Sinica 2 (4), 342e351 (with English abstract). it would have been difficult for hominins to live in the Tengger Bøtter-Jensen, L., Mejdahl, V., Murray, A.S., 1999. New light on OSL. Quaternary Science Reviews 18, 303e309. Desert until the Holocene stage, at which time the Neolithic pop- Brantingham, P.J., Krivoshapkin, A.I., Li, J., Tserendagva, Y., 2001. The initial upper ulations arrived. Paleolithic in Northeast Asia. Current Anthropology 42, 735e747. As a first approximation, therefore, we propose to place hominin Brantingham, P.J., Ma, H., Olsen, J.W., Gao, X., Madsen, D.B., Rhode, D.E., 2003. 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