Excavated Context on the Handaxes of Paleolithic in Miho River Basin: Focusing on the Sites at Cheongju City

The excavated contexts on the handaxes of paleolithic from Cheongju City in the Miho River basin were identified through a geoarchaeological approach. The handaxes are mostly concentrated on the slopes and slope ends of hilly mountains within 50m above sea level adjacent to floodplains. They are also found on some floodplain flats and in the mountains. These features are subject to slope and fluvial deposits. At the sites, fluvial deposits formed at MIS 3 and MIS 5. The slope deposits were deposited repeatedly, some rapidly. The slopes are related with MIS 2~MIS 4, and the ends of slope with MIS 2~MIS 5. Some Paleolithic artifacts are recovered from fluvial deposits, but most are found within the slope deposits. The handaxes are excavated from five layers. First. The dark brown clay layer with a developed upper soil wedge: the end of MIS 3. Second, the layer under the dark brown clay layer with grain size roughening and a reddish tint: the second half of MIS 3. Third, the layer within the fluvial deposits under the dark brown clay layer: the second half of MIS 3. Fourth, the reddish-brown clay layer with a developed lower soil wedge and the layers under it: the first half of MIS 3~MIS 5, Lastly, the layers in the flowing water deposition under the reddish-brown clay layer: the first half of MIS 3 or earlier. Thus, the handaxes are related with the MIS 5 to MIS 3. The artifact composition and spatial distribution varied between sites as the influence of slope deposits. In addition, Differences in micro-environments and temporal gaps, including differences in the energy of slope deposition between sites, had different effects on sites formation and post-depositional processes.