Researchers have uncovered the first definitive evidence of Middle Paleolithic Quina technology in East Asia, shedding new light on the evolution of the region's early hominins.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are based on artifacts excavated from the Longtan site in Heqing County, southwest China's Yunnan Province. A multidisciplinary team led by the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted the study.

The Middle Paleolithic period, spanning roughly 300,000 to 40,000 years ago, was marked by the coexistence of early modern humans, Denisovans and Neanderthals, alongside significant technological advancements. While prevailing theories have suggested slow technological development among early hominins in China, the discovery at Longtan provides fresh insights into regional tool-making traditions, according to the study.

Excavations at the Longtan site, which began in 2010, revealed stone tools exhibiting key features of Quina technology. This lithic tradition is associated with Neanderthals in cold, arid European environments around 70,000 to 40,000 years ago.

According to the researchers, the Longtan lithic assemblage exhibits classic Quina traits, including the systematic production of thick flakes as tool blanks, selective edge retouching using both soft and hard hammers, continuous edge rejuvenation to extend tool life, and multi-stage reduction strategies. Micro-wear analysis also confirms that Quina scrapers were used to process bone, wood and hides.

"The presence of Quina technology in East Asia has never been definitively confirmed until now," said Li Hao, co-first author of the study and a researcher at the ITP, adding that the findings reshape people's understanding of the evolutionary landscape of early hominins in East Asia.

The discovery has extended the known range of this tool-making tradition and suggested the possibility of Neanderthals reaching southwest China, a hypothesis that researchers say warrants further investigation.