Discovering Ancient Tools in the Heart of Tibet
Located just 5 kilometers southwest of Shiquanhe Town in Gar County, the Dingzhong Huzhu Stone Tools site stands at an elevation of 4,260 meters in the Tashigang area of Gamo Township. This area, nestled within a river valley and dune zone, features a landscape more sandy than rocky, dotted with sparse “prickly” vegetation. The archaeological site is rich with artifacts, categorized into microliths, chipped stone tools, and pottery shards, offering a unique window into ancient tool-making traditions.
Uncovering the Microliths
- Collection Insights: With 84 specimens gathered, the collection includes microlith cores, flakes, and tools. Cores come in shapes like conical, semi-conical, cylindrical, and “pencil tip,” made from materials such as flint, siliceous rock, and volcanic rock.
- Types of Flakes: Divided into direct and indirect flakes, direct flakes are typically bar-shaped, whereas indirect flakes are narrower. All microliths were crafted from stone flake modifications, including “nail cover” scrapers, arc-edged scrapers, cutters, and carvers.
Chipped Stone Tools
- Diverse Specimens: The site yielded 48 specimens, encompassing cores, flakes, and tools primarily made of siliceous rock and volcanic rock. Cores often exhibit a triangular pentahedral shape, with long flakes (almost rectangular) and short flakes (square or irregular) alongside tools like cutters, scrapers, and choppers.
The Pottery Fragments
- Varied Composition: Among the 30 pieces collected, there are both sand-tempered and clay pottery types. Sand-tempered pieces are usually yellow-brown, while clay pottery tends to be red; some fragments are adorned with painted stripes, incised lines, impressed cord marks, and leaf vein patterns.
The Dingzhong Huzhu Stone Tools site is the only known location in western Tibet where microliths, chipped stone tools, and pottery coexist, making it a crucial landmark for archaeological studies in Tibet. These remnants of primitive culture not only highlight the ingenuity of ancient toolmakers but also enrich our understanding of early human life on the Tibetan plateau.
