Unveiling bast fiber production in Upper Paleolithic North China: Microfibers and usewear traces on stone tools from Shizitan
Journal
Plos One
Journal Volume
21
Journal Issue
4
Start Page
e0346767
ISSN
1932-6203
Date Issued
2026-04-01
Author(s)
Liu L.
He, Yahui
Chen, Xingcan
Shi, Jinming
Song, Yanhua
Shanxi University
Editor(s)
Groman-Yaroslavski, Iris
Abstract
Fiber technology—including the making of cordages, mats, baskets, and textiles—
holds a crucial place in human history. However, uncovering archaeological evi-
dence of early fiber products proves challenging due to their rapid decay. To address
preservation hurdles, we employ a multi-disciplinary approach to interpret microfiber
remains, drawing on microfossil remains, usewear traces, ethnographic observation,
and experimental archaeology, to study artifacts from two Upper Paleolithic Shizitan
(SZT) site localities on the North China Loess Plateau, dating 28,000–18,000 cal BP,
encompassing the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), on which we identify microremains
of hemp and flax. Analyses of microfossil remains (microfibers, phytoliths, and fungi)
and usewear traces on stone tools potentially reveal stages of bast fiber production,
such as cutting stalks, retting, pounding fiber ribbons, and scraping to remove impu-
rities. Such pounding and scraping are commonly associated with textile production
in ethnographic accounts, and parallel evidence has also been observed on Neolithic
stone tools in North China. Observations of colored fibers suggest SZT people may
have extracted plant-based dyes and hematite pigment to color fibers. The cold-dry
conditions of the LGM, which likely led to the depopulation of regions north of SZT,
also may have driven increased fiber production, aligning with previously recognized
shifts toward microblade production, broader interregional interactions, ritual activi-
ties, and broad-spectrum subsistence, including early wild millet use. This research
provides new evidence for the deep history of fiber production in Upper Paleolithic
China and demonstrates the value of usewear and microfossil analyses for studying
ancient fiber technology.
Funding(s)
NSTC
NSTC
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Type
text::journal::journal article
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Loading...
Name
LiuLi2026_Unveiling bast fiber production in Upper Paleolithic North China.pdf
Size
2.61 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum
(MD5):78c5ed7dc739bb32fe2556c2bed6c3b1