A team of researchers from China, Australia, France, Spain, and Germany has revealed advanced material culture in East Asia dating to 45,000 years ago. The new study is published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Shiyu provides us with an opportunity to look into the life of the skillful hunters from northern China 45,000 years ago. The people inhabiting the region had a remarkably advanced tool kit, with a range of innovative tools from the Upper Paleolithic, including end-scrapers, awls, and tools of former times, including Middle Paleolithic Levallois points, various tanged tools, denticulates, and borers.