A study of Early Upper Paleolithic blade production in the third cultural layer at Suyanggae Locality VI, Republic of Korea

<sec><p indent="0mm">The blade technological organization identified at Suyanggae Loc.VI(SYG-6) provides valuable insights into the origins and development of the blade tool industry in Northeast Asia. Before the excavation of the 3rd and 4th cultural layers at SYG-6, the Korean Peninsula was considered a conservative area where the early stages of the blade tool industry had not appeared. However, it is now recognized as a region with a unique Upper Paleolithic stone tool technology in East Asia, where the blade tool industry coexisted with the pebble tool tradition. The technological organization of the artifacts from CL 3 reflects the characteristics of the Early Upper Paleolithic on the Korean Peninsula. Analysis of the lithic complex in this layer suggests that it may have functioned as a workshop for acquiring blades and making tanged points, similar to CL 4. </sec><sec> Key features of the stone tool technology include the expansion of medium and small blades, the emergence of primitive microblade technology, the continued use of sub-wedge-shaped cores for blade production, and the application of vertical flaking for blades, particularly in the creation of tanged points. The most significant changes in the blade technological organization between CL 3 and CL 4 involve shifts in blade size and the complexity of the associated technology, including the selection of raw materials. These changes reflect the increasing demand for artifacts utilizing small- and medium-sized blades and may be tied to shifts in economic activities in the Suyanggae sites. This pattern is characteristic of a typical Early Upper Paleolithic variant with a blade industry. The characteristics observed at Late Upper Paleolithic sites are closely aligned with those of CL 3 at SYG-6. </sec>