Subtropical Foragers during the MIS 2: A Case Study of the Qingtang Site in Yingde, Guangdong Province, Southern China

DENG Wanwen1* and LIU Suoqiang2

The Qingtang site is located in eastern Yingde City, northern Guangdong Province. It comprises several limestone caves and rockshelter localities. Among these, the Huangmenyan Cave 2 (HM2), excavated between 2016 and 2018, revealed continuous stratigraphic deposits dating from approximately 25,000 to 11,000 years ago. The excavation yielded a substantial quantity of stone artefacts and animal bone fragments, alongside a small number of bone and antler tools, shell artefacts, pottery shards and other cultural remains. The analysis of environmental proxy indicators, such as spore pollen, has revealed that the surrounding area of HM2 experienced multiple cycles of alternating dry-cool and warm-humid climates. This finding suggests that low-latitude subtropical areas also experienced climatic fluctuations during the Marine Isotope Stage 2. Taking account of environmental changes, the HM2 deposits could be divided into four distinct phases, exhibiting diachronic variations in artefacts. The case study of HM2 demonstrates the evolution of lithic production organisation and related cultural behaviours among late Late Pleistocene hominins in South China, reflecting how prehistoric hunter-gatherers adapted their subsistence strategies and environmental responses against the late Late Pleistocene climatic fluctuations in low-latitude subtropical area.