Climate-driven migration revealed: Ancient humans adapted to ice age extremes in southern China

A groundbreaking study published in Journal of Palaeogeography sheds new light on how ancient humans in East Asia adapted to extreme climatic shifts during the Last Glacial Maximum. Led by Prof. Yuzhu Zhang from Northwest University, the paper, titled Environmental Evolution and Hominin Behavior Adaptation of Shanghu Paleolithic Site, Jiangxi Province, combines geological and archaeological evidence to reconstruct the interplay between climate change, migration, and technological innovation 26,000 years ago.

The Shanghu site, a recently excavated open-air Paleolithic locale in Jiangxi Province, preserves one of southern China’s densest concentrations of stone artifacts. By analyzing sediment layers through soil micromorphology, sedimentology, geochemistry, and lithic refitting, the team demonstrated that the site’s homogeneous red soil layer B experienced only low-energy water flow, leaving intact critical traces of ancient human activity. This minimally disturbed context allowed researchers to link the prevalence of small flake tools—a hallmark of northern Chinese lithic traditions—to a hypothesized southward migration of populations fleeing harsh, arid conditions in northern China during Marine Isotope Stage 2 (MIS2).

Key findings reveal that the Shanghu hominins occupied the region under cooler, drier climates compared to earlier humid phases. Geological indicators, including low CIA (Chemical Index of Alteration) values and elevated magnetic susceptibility, suggest reduced weathering intensity, aligning with global MIS2 cooling trends. Concurrently, the high density of small tools and raw material stockpiling at Shanghu mirror logistical mobility strategies to counter resource scarcity caused by climatic instability. These behaviors, previously documented in northern “small flake tool” cultures, support the theory that technological traditions spread southward as humans adapted to ecological pressures.

The study’s interdisciplinary approach—bridging sediment analysis with lithic refitting and spatial distribution studies—sets a benchmark for investigating Paleolithic site formation. By correlating environmental proxies with human behavior, the research not only enriches understanding of East Asia’s Late Pleistocene cultural dynamics but also highlights resilience strategies relevant to modern climate adaptation debates.

This work underscores the importance of southern China as a refuge during glacial extremes and unveils narratives of human dispersal in Eurasia. For scholars and enthusiasts alike, the Shanghu findings offer a compelling case study of survival, innovation, and the indelible marks of climate on human history.