Typological description of cores and tools of the early Paleolithic Ankhe industry in Vietnam

The Lower Paleolithic Ankhe industry includes the evidence from over 30 sites on the left bank and two sites on the right bank of the Ba River. In addition to large surface collection, a representative collection of the stratified materials (about 2500 objects) from excavation pits is available. The article provides the typological and technological analysis of cores and tools discovered in the cultural layers at the Rocktyng 1, 4, and 7 sites. Pebbles and rounded stones of various shapes and sizes as well as their fragments were used as preforms for cores and tools. Primary reduction at all Early Paleolithic sites involved the cores with natural striking platform (single and double) and specially prepared striking platform, as well as multiplatform cores and discoid cores. The dominant group was single platform cores for producing thick shortened flakes. The above types of cores reflect the stages of reduction rather than intentional shaping. The most numerous group of tools (about 70 objects) consists of side-scrapers, which can be divided into longtitudinal and transverse varieties. Chopping tools and choppers also appear in longitudinal and transverse varieties; some of them demonstrate slightly pointed spur. Nosed or notched-denticulate types of tools occurred more rarely. Production of bifaced tools required the greatest efforts and skills. Secondary processing of bifaces was used only for sharpening the point of the biface; sometimes fine retouching was used for preparing the working surface. The Ankhe bifacial technology emerged ca. 800,000 BP on the basis of the local pebble-flake industry. This is confirmed by the features of primary reduction, secondary treatment of stone tools, and by the entire Early Paleolithic technical and typological complex.