First evidence of Quina technology in East Asia reshapes human evolution studies

Discovery at China’s Longtan site links Neanderthal tool-making to early East Asian cultures.

This image, provided by the Tibetan Plateau Research Institute (ITP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, shows an artistic illustration of ancient human migration. © ITP

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

In a landmark discovery that challenges long-held assumptions about early human development, researchers have found the first evidence of Quina technology in East Asia. The breakthrough offers fresh insights into early hominin behavior and expands our understanding of how ancient humans adapted to different environments across continents.

The discovery was made at the Longtan archaeological site in Heqing County, located in the mountainous Yunnan Province of southwest China. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the findings are the result of a comprehensive study led by the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The significance of this discovery lies in its clarity. While earlier hypotheses had suggested the possibility of Quina-style tools appearing sporadically in Asia, no definitive evidence existed—until now. This marks the first time that Middle Paleolithic tools associated with the Quina tradition, typically found in Europe and linked to Neanderthals, have been confirmed in East Asia.

Quina technology and its historical roots

Quina technology is known for its distinct method of stone tool production, particularly the use of thick, robust flakes shaped into scrapers and other implements. Traditionally, these tools have been associated with Neanderthal populations who lived in cold, arid environments in Western Europe roughly 70,000 to 40,000 years ago.

Researchers have long debated whether similar tool-making traditions could have evolved independently in other parts of the world or were transferred through contact between populations. The discovery of Quina technology in China suggests the latter may have played a role, pointing to previously unknown interactions or parallel developments among hominin groups.

Excavation at Longtan reveals Quina signatures

The Longtan site was first identified as a promising Middle Paleolithic location in 2010. Since then, systematic excavations have revealed a wealth of artifacts—stone tools, bone fragments, and sediment layers—that provide context for early human life in the region. Among the thousands of items unearthed, a specific set of stone tools stood out due to their form, function, and manufacturing process.

According to the study, these tools share several hallmarks of the Quina tradition:

• Thick flakes were deliberately chosen as tool blanks, designed for durability and extended use.
• A strategic combination of soft and hard hammers was employed to refine edges, a technique requiring skill and intent.
• Tools were continually resharpened to extend their functional life, indicating a complex understanding of tool maintenance.
• A multi-stage reduction strategy was used, suggesting forethought in how raw materials were processed.

Microscopic wear analysis further confirmed that the Quina scrapers from Longtan were used to process bone, wood, and hide—materials essential for survival in a challenging environment.

Shifting the paradigm of East Asian Paleolithic research

Until this discovery, the dominant narrative surrounding early human technology in East Asia was that development occurred at a slower, more isolated pace than in the West. The general absence of sophisticated flake-based tools led many archaeologists to believe that East Asian hominin populations relied more heavily on simpler core and pebble tools.

This new evidence overturns that assumption.

“The presence of Quina technology in East Asia has never been definitively confirmed until now,” said Li Hao, a lead author of the study and a researcher at ITP. “The Longtan assemblage challenges the prevailing model that East Asia was technologically conservative. Instead, it reveals complex and adaptive behaviors among early humans here.”

Li added that the find could reshape broader theories of human migration and innovation during the Middle Paleolithic, especially during periods of environmental stress and interspecies contact.

Implications for early human evolution and migration

The Middle Paleolithic period, spanning from about 300,000 to 40,000 years ago, was a dynamic time in human history. It saw the coexistence—and eventual interaction—of different hominin species, including early modern humans, Denisovans, and Neanderthals. These groups adapted to diverse landscapes, from African savannas to the European tundra and, as this new study shows, to the mountainous regions of East Asia.

The discovery at Longtan adds an important piece to the puzzle of how early humans moved, settled, and innovated. It also suggests that tool-making traditions were either shared across vast distances or developed independently in response to similar environmental pressures.

What’s especially striking is the resemblance between the Longtan Quina tools and those found in far-off parts of Europe. While the possibility of parallel evolution cannot be ruled out, the similarity raises tantalizing questions about possible contact routes, even if indirect, between Neanderthal groups and early human populations in Asia.

The role of multidisciplinary science

This discovery is not only an archaeological triumph but also a testament to the power of multidisciplinary collaboration. The research team included specialists in paleolithic archaeology, geology, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and materials science. Through this collective effort, they were able to analyze the tools not only in terms of form but also function, context, and cultural significance.

“We combined lithic technology analysis with microwear and spatial distribution studies,” said team member Dr. Yang Fei, a geoarchaeologist involved in the project. “Only by synthesizing different types of data could we confidently identify the tools as Quina.”

A new chapter for Asian archaeology

The Longtan discovery opens new avenues for archaeological research across East Asia. With definitive evidence of Quina technology now established in China, researchers may begin reexamining other sites across the region for similar tools that may have been overlooked or misclassified.

Moreover, this find adds momentum to the growing recognition that East Asia played a more active and innovative role in early human history than previously acknowledged.

“We’re only beginning to understand the complexity of human life in this region during the Middle Paleolithic,” said Li Hao. “Longtan is a crucial step forward, but many questions remain—and many more discoveries await.”

A transformative find

The first evidence of Quina technology in East Asia reshapes how scientists view early human evolution across continents. It forces a reevaluation of long-standing assumptions about the pace and spread of technological innovation and highlights the need for continued exploration and interdisciplinary collaboration.

As excavations continue and new findings emerge, the once-peripheral regions of early human history, like Longtan in southwest China, may soon take center stage in the global narrative of where we come from—and how we survived.