Researchers in central China have uncovered stone tools that were deliberately shaped to be fixed onto handles, dating from about 160,000 to 72,000 years ago, providing early evidence of hafting in China’s stone tools. The discovery challenges long-standing assumptions that early technology in East Asia developed later or followed simpler paths than in other regions.
The tools were excavated at Xigou, located in the Danjiang River region. Researchers say the stones were not designed for direct hand use. Instead, their forms indicate they were intended to be mounted onto wooden or bone handles, a technique known as hafting. Hafting improves grip and force and is often viewed as a key step in complex toolmaking.
The findings, published in Nature Communications, add new depth to understanding early human innovation in China. For decades, parts of the Chinese Paleolithic record were described as technologically limited compared with Africa or western Eurasia. Evidence from Xigou presents a different picture, one marked by planning, skill, and long-term knowledge transfer.
Microscopic wear reveals how tools were used
Producing hafted tools required several carefully sequenced steps. Toolmakers first shaped stone pieces to meet specific size and edge requirements. Handles then had to be prepared, either by cutting a notch or hollowing out a shaft. The stone was fixed in place using bindings made from plant fibers or animal sinew. In some cases, researchers found signs that adhesives were also used.
Microscopic analysis played a key role in understanding how the tools functioned. Researchers examined wear patterns along tool edges, including polish, fine striations, and rounding. These traces were linked to tasks such as plant processing, piercing, and cutting.
Several tools also show wear linked to repeated attachment and removal from handles, supporting the interpretation that they were hafted and maintained over long periods.
Quartz tools show skilled production methods
Excavations at Xigou yielded more than 2,600 stone artifacts. Many were made from quartz, a material known for breaking unpredictably. Despite this challenge, ancient knappers consistently produced small, regular flakes.
Stone tools from central China show signs of hafting as early as 160,000 years ago. The discovery suggests advanced planning and skill among early human groups, reshaping ideas about Paleolithic technology in East Asia. pic.twitter.com/2H2vGtotX4
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) January 27, 2026
Researchers identified the use of discoidal and flake core reduction systems. These methods require careful control over striking angles and applied force. Each strike affects the next stage of production, showing that toolmaking followed planned sequences rather than chance.
The same production strategies appear repeatedly across multiple sediment layers. Researchers say this consistency reflects shared technical traditions rather than individual experimentation.
Dating places tools within a diverse human landscape
Dating work strengthens the interpretation. Scientists applied luminescence methods to six sediment samples. Quartz-based ReOSL results place the occupation layers between about 160,000 and 72,000 years ago.
These dates fall within a period marked by diverse human populations across China. Fossil evidence from sites such as Lingjing and Xujiayao shows archaic human groups with large brain volumes living during this time. Genetic research also points to Denisovan ancestry in parts of the region.
Researchers say Xigou adds behavioral evidence to this biological picture by showing how these populations planned and used complex technologies.
Long-term continuity reshapes views of early innovation
What stands out most is the site’s long time span. Tool forms and production strategies remained largely stable for nearly 90,000 years. Researchers say these persistence points to reliable knowledge systems and strong adaptation to local environments.
Even as climates shifted and landscapes changed, people returned to the same effective solutions. Findings from Xigou place central China firmly within broader discussions of early complex technology.
Hafted tools from Africa and western Eurasia are often highlighted as milestones in human innovation. Evidence from this Chinese site shows that comparable technical achievements emerged far earlier in East Asia than many researchers once believed.
