A Study on the Late Paleolithic in the upstream area of the Han River : Focusing on the Yeongokri Site in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do

In this study, one aspect of the Late Paleolithic in the upstream area of the Han River mainstream were examined through research on the Yeongok-ri site in Gwangju. The hinterland of the archaeological site is characterized by well-developed branch ridges, while the Gonjiam Stream flows in the foreground, an area where slope and fluvial deposits are formed. The stratigraphic layers at the site confirm this pattern, with artifacts located within the slope deposits covering the fluvial deposits. The depositional timing of the slope deposits containing artifacts is associated with the late MIS 3 to before the formation of the first soil wedge. Specifically, the cultural layer dates from 24,000calBC to before the formation of the first soil wedge. The artifacts correspond to the Late Paleolithic. The artifacts does not show much difference between the cultural layer and the artifact-contained layer. The raw materials of the artifacts are predominantly quartz and quartzite, with small quantities of rhyolite, hornfels, and obsidian. The assemblage is primarily composed of tools associated with lithic production, including a confirmed micro-blade. Notably, the main tools are end and side scrapers. Flaking was performed by striking the small core from multiple directions across its various working faces. In the cultural layer, two distinct groups of cores are identified based on size, a differentiation also observed in the weight distribution of the flakes. This suggests that the production of smaller flakes was often accompanied by the production of larger flakes. The main tools consist of end and side scrapers. With the exception of one, all end scrapers in the cultural layer are made from quartz and quartzite. While these end scrapers vary in size, they share similar manufacturing characteristics. The only notable difference is the extent of flaking, which is influenced by the material of the core. Retouching of the edges is generally confined to less than 20% of the total circumference. The production of side scrapers is simpler than that of end scrapers. Typically, side scrapers show simple retouching on only one side of the material, with the edge forming more than 20% of the total circumference.