Abstract From 2022 to 2023, the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, in collaboration with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, conducted a salvage excavation at the Mengxihe site in Ziyang, Sichuan. Over 100,000 lithic artifacts and numerous animal and plant remains were recovered. The lithics—primarily medium-and small-sized tools made from silicified wood—are dominated by scrapers and produced through simple, expedient core-flake technology. This assemblage represents a rare example of a small-tool industry in southern China. Preliminary dating indicates that the main cultural layer dates to 70,000–50,000 BP. As the only known Middle Paleolithic site in China to yield well-preserved lithics, animal remains, and plant remains in association, Mengxihe offers critical new evidence for exploring Paleolithic lifeways, broad-spectrum resource use, and the emergence of behavioral complexity—contributing to broader discussions on the origins and dispersal of modern humans.
A Mon, study studied this question.