A Study on the Lithic Artefacts Discovered in 2023 around Tangra Yumco

CHEN Chong (陈冲)1*, LIU Yalin (刘亚林)2, CHEN Minghui (陈明辉)2, YANG Ruisheng 杨瑞生2, CHEN Peng 陈鹏2, ZHOU Kefan 周柯帆2, LI Linhui 李林辉3, Xiagewangdui 夏格旺堆3, Zhaxicicren 扎西次仁3, OUZHUSHIXIU 欧珠石秀4, and WANG Chunxue 王春雪1

Tangra Yumco, located in Nyima County, Nagqu City, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, is the fourth‑largest lake in the Tibet Autonomous Region, with an average altitude of 4,700 metres. In 2023, a circum‑lake survey was conducted in this area, identifying a total of 13 lithic localities and collecting over 750 lithic artefacts. The lithic assemblage exhibits considerable diversity, reflecting multiple lithic technologies, with a predominance of microblade technology and its processed products. The tool assemblage is mainly composed of scrapers and points produced from microblade blanks, with raw materials primarily sourced from chert and slate. Populations mastering microblade technology engaged in frequent activities in this region, overcoming the challenges posed by the harsh high‑altitude environment. Based on relevant research on microblade technology across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and combined with palaeoenvironmental information from Tangra Yumco, it is inferred that the activities of populations utilising microblade technology in this area date from the Late Pleistocene to the mid‑Holocene.