Geochemical fingerprinting of Pleistocene stone tools from the Tràng An Landscape Complex, Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam

Geochemical analysis of Pleistocene stone tools from the Tràng An Landscape Complex, Vietnam, reveals that hunter-gatherer populations sourced igneous raw materials from distant locations despite their absence in the immediate vicinity. This challenges the assumption that local materials were predominantly used for toolmaking during this period. The study employed geochemical fingerprinting to trace the origin of these tools, providing insights into mobility patterns and raw material provisioning strategies among Southeast Asian hunter-gatherers. The findings suggest a more complex relationship between technological organization and resource acquisition than previously understood.

Utting, B. (2022). Geochemical fingerprinting of Pleistocene stone tools from the Tràng An Landscape Complex, Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam. Plos One, 17(6), e0269658. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269658