Neanderthal-Linked Stone Tool Technology Discovered in China, Rewriting Early Human History

A groundbreaking archaeological discovery in Yunnan Province, China, has challenged existing theories about early human technological development in East Asia. Researchers have found definitive evidence of Quina technology, a stone tool-making method previously associated exclusively with Neanderthals in Europe, at the Longtan site in Heqing County. The findings were published in the journal *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)*. Excavations at the Longtan site between 2019 and 2020, which was initially discovered in 2010, yielded hundreds of stone artifacts displaying key characteristics of Quina technology. These include the production of thick stone flakes and the use of specific re-sharpening techniques. The Longtan cultural layers have been dated to approximately 60,000 to 50,000 years old. This discovery marks the first conclusive evidence of Quina technology in East Asia. Microscopic analysis suggests the tools were used for processing bone, wood, and skin, similar to Neanderthal practices. While direct evidence of Neanderthals at Longtan is still lacking, the presence of Quina technology raises the possibility of their presence in southwestern China, prompting further genetic and archaeological investigations. The discovery challenges the idea that technological advancement in ancient China was slow and localized, suggesting a more complex picture of early human evolution and interaction in the region. The presence of Quina technology in Longtan extends the geographic distribution of this technology and highlights the diversity of Middle Paleolithic technologies across China.