Program > By author > Takakura Jun

It is well known that western Eurasia has a long history of research on carinated technology in the Upper Palaeolithic, in terms of typological, technological, and functional perspectives. On the other hand, in recent years, due to the relationship with the emergence of the pressure microblade technology, much attention has also been focused on the sporadic distribution of carinated technology before and around the Last Glacial Maximum in eastern Eurasia. In the lithic assemblages before and around the Last Glacial Maximum in Siberia, Mongolia, northern China, the Korean Peninsula, and the Japanese archipelago, microblades or bladelets were produced not only from prismatic and narrowed prismatic cores but also carinated cores. Although information is still scarce, notable data has been obtained on the chronological positions and technological features of lithic assemblages including carinated technology in eastern Eurasia. To understand the population dynamics and cultural transmission across a wide area during the Early and Middle Upper Palaeolithic of Eurasia, a comprehensive comparison and evaluation of them from the technological and behavioural perspectives needs to be undertaken. In this paper, I first assess the problem of the definition of microblades and bladelets in the study of the Early and Middle Upper Palaeolithic of eastern Eurasia. Second, I present the technological variability of microblade/bladelet technology including carinated cores and the chronological framework in the Early and Middle Upper Palaeolithic in Siberia, Mongolia, northern China, the Korean Peninsula, and the Japanese archipelago. Third, I discuss the relationship between the carinated technology and the emergence of the pressure microblade technology.