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Paleolithic ostrich eggshell beads unearthed

It is reported that the archaeological excavation work at the Nanjiagou site in Huailai County, which lasted for two months, has ended recently. During the excavation, more than 2,000 stone artifacts, ornaments, bone tools and other late Paleolithic cultural relics were discovered.

The discovery of these cultural relics reflects the way of life of human beings in the late Paleolithic period and shows the appearance of people’s life at that time. Among them, there are more than 10 pieces of beads made of exquisite bone needles and ostrich eggshells.

It not only reflects the high level of production technology and aesthetic awareness of ancient humans at that time, but also shows that there were ostriches living in the Huailai Basin at that time. It is understood that the Nanjiagou site is located in the southeast of Xinyao Village, Sangyuan Town, Huailai County, next to the Guanting Reservoir.

This year, with the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the joint archaeological team of Hebei Normal University and Huailai County Museum carried out excavation work. The excavation work began in mid-July. According to Li Dingyuan, director of the Huailai County Museum, on the 10th day of the archaeological excavation, a small number of stone artifacts were found at the Nanjiagou site.

With the continuous progress of the excavation work, more than 2,000 cultural relics have been unearthed so far, including more than 10 pieces of beads. The beads are about 0.6 cm in diameter, with a smooth, rounded surface and a pore size of about 0.3 cm. Archaeologists confirmed that the beads were made from ostrich eggshells.

In addition to these more than 10 finished products, there are also some fragments of ostrich eggshells. This shows that the beads were made by the local ancients. At that time, the climate in the Huailai Basin was suitable for ostriches to survive, and it was the place where ostriches lived and reproduced. In addition, some stone cores, small stone leaves, and conical stone products were also found.

Li Dingyuan said that among these unearthed cultural relics, there is a bone needle that is very beautifully made, and it is speculated based on the type and characteristics of stone products and the burial site of the relics. The age should be the late Paleolithic period. The discovery of these objects reflects the way of life of the ancients, and shows the life and craftsmanship of the people at that time.

It is understood that the Nanjiagou site is the first Late Paleolithic site confirmed by excavation in the Huailai Basin to contain the fine stone leaf technology (a microlithic processing technology that appeared in the late Paleolithic period). It adds new coordinates and evidence for the study of the origin and diffusion of fine stone leaf technology in northern China.

The systematic archaeological investigation and excavation of the Huailai Basin is not only about Paleolithic archaeology going out of Nihewan. A major attempt to expand to the Yongding River Basin is also a concrete practice of Paleolithic archaeology from “Xiao Nihewan” to “Danihewan”.

These cultural relics can illustrate the degree of cultural development of human beings in the Paleolithic Age. It also provides new evidence for the study and discussion of the survival behavior, population migration, and cultural exchange of ancient humans during the Pleistocene in northern China and even Northeast Asia.