泥河湾盆地位于汾渭裂谷带的东北端，裂谷带独特的地质背景为早期人类生存提供了合适的生存环境。长期的第四纪地质和考古工作，积累了大量原地埋藏的第四纪哺乳动物群化石和旧石器资料，其中尤以更新世早期材料引人注目，被一些学者称为东方的“奥杜为”。本研究以泥河湾盆地马圈沟、霍家地、小长梁、大长梁、岑家湾、东谷坨等主要的早更新世遗址为核心研究对象，综合地貌学、地层学和年代学、地质环境、哺乳动物群、考古学等研究基础，展开石制品原料类型、获取方式和打制技术等方面的比较研究。运用野外地质调查、实验考古、拼合研究、技术解读及古环境恢复等手段，认识泥河湾盆地早更新世人类的行为弹性、技术复杂性及其与气候环境间的关系。最后，通过与非洲、欧州及亚洲其他重要遗址的对比研究，概括华北泥河湾地区在早期人类进化框架中的位置。

Nihewan basin located at the end of Fenwei rift valley system, and the geological background of the area provide suitable living environment for early Hominids. The Nihewan Basin in North China is one of the most important palaeoanthropological archives in Asia as it has an abundance of mammal fossils and stone tool assemblages in a number of localities (i.e., Majuangou, Xiaochangliang, Huojiadi, Feiliang, Donggutuo, Cenjiawan) .The proposed research could update the available information of early sites of Nihewan Basin, by presenting a systematic review and comparisons of the raw material sourcing and lithic technology of the main assemblages to reveal the knapping skill and capacity of the early hominid in the Basin. Multidisciplinary approaches will be applied in the research, such as geological investigation, geochemical fingerprinting, knapping experiment and lithic refitting method. By analyzing the raw materials selective and souring strategy, we can assess to the adaptive capacity of the early inhabitants to the ecological background. The objectives are to evaluate the adaptive capacity of Nihewan early inhabitant and to contextualize them into the current discussion of the dispersal of Hominids behavior out of Africa.