The Hoabinhian and the Reconstruction of the Paleogeography of North Sumatra

The Hoabinhian is a Late Pleistocene and Holocene technocomplex in northern Sumatra and mainland Southeast Asia, characterized by the presence of unifacial pebbles (sumatraliths). In North Sumatra Hoabinhian sites are present as shell-middens in coastal areas and, in caves in mountainous areas. These sites have been established upstream and downstream of the river system since the Pleistocene. Recent 14C dating of several Hoabihian sites in North Sumatra show occupation between 12,000 and 3,000 years BP. At Loyang Mendale, Mabitce Cave, and Gedong Cave new data provide additional information on Hoabinhian sites in North Sumatra. Lithic tool morphology and technology show similarities to other Hoabinhian sites and indicate a process of adaptation to environmental conditions related to raw material sources and subsistence strategies. The new Hoabinhian sites in North Sumatra must now be reviewed and correlated with environmental aspects. ?C 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.