Provenancing hornfels in the Dingcun industry: The exploitation of the vicinity source

In this paper, we attempt to determine the source of the hornfels used to make the famous Late Middle Pleistocene lithic industry from Dingcun in North China. By combining geological mapping and geochemical fingerprinting (μ-XRF), we demonstrate that the source of the hornfels was around the Dagudui Mountain, 7 km east of Dingcun. Taking into consideration the Gujiao site, which is also located along the Fenhe River, the Palaeolithic inhabitants of the Fenhe River drainage basin had a good knowledge of the local rock sources, and used them over a very long period from the Middle Pleistocene to the Neolithic. Our geochemical data not only helps us to establish the source of the Dingcun industry, but also provides a reliable basis for the sub-classification of the hornfels that is more accurate than that resulting from visual inspection. In addition, our research initiates a new method for studying raw material sources of Chinese Paleolithic sites.