中更新世晚期至晚更新世早期是现代人和古人类演化和迁徙的重要时期。作为人类迁徙的重要节点之一，中国西南地区（尤其是云贵高原）具有丰富的古人类化石记录和旧石器文化遗存，是研究中国南方旧石器文化乃至东亚人类起源及演化的关键区域之一。然而目前对该地区的人类演化、迁徙和技术发展的历史仍缺乏足够认识。造成这一问题的主要原因之一是关键遗址缺乏可靠而系统的年代学研究。本项目拟用最新的单颗粒光释光测年方法进一步完善和补充贵州黔西观音洞遗址以及云南鹤庆天华洞遗址的年代学框架，并对鹤庆地区另外两个新发现的旧石器遗址进行测年研究。通过该研究可增进对过去三十万至五万年中国西南地区人类活动的理解，为丰富中国乃至东亚地区这一关键时间段内的旧石器文化面貌提供可靠的年代学基础。本研究对中国西南地区旧石器文化序列的建立和该地区旧石器中期遗址的形成与演化过程的理解都有重要的意义。

Late Middle and early Late Pleistocene are the key periods for understanding the evolution and dispersal of modern human and other archaic human groups. Southwest China (especially Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau), one of the crucial areas for studying hominin dispersals, has yielded numerous hominid fossils and Palaeolithic sites. This region plays an important part on studying Palaeolithic cultures of South China as well as human origin and evolution of East Asia. However, the understanding of human evolution, dispersal and lithic technologies of this region is still insufficient. One of the main reasons is that systematic and reliable chronologies of key sites have not been established yet. In order to deal with this problem, this project aims to establish firm chronological framework for late Middle and early Late Pleistocene human activities of Southwest China by using single-grain optical stimulated luminescence dating. Specifically, the project will not only improve the chronological studies of Guanyindong cave and Tianhuadong cave but also provide chronologies for two newly discovered sites near Tianhuadong. The project will preliminarily establish the temporal sequence of human occupations over the last 300-50 ka in Southwest China. The establishment of reliable chronological foundation of Palaeolithic cultures during this key timespan of this area and even East Asia is of fundamental importance for understanding the regional Palaeolithic cultural sequence and human evolution.