Archaeologists in China’s Yunnan province unearthed stone tools crafted in a style associated with Neanderthals that hasn’t previously been found in East Asia, study says.

Archaeologists in China have found stone technology previously thought to have been used by Neanderthals in Europe, challenging our understanding of human evolution in East Asia. The Quina method of making stone tools had previously been found in Europe but never in East Asia.

Researchers found European-style Quina tools in China, dating back 55,000 years, challenging the view that East Asia’s Middle Paleolithic era was stagnant and opening new questions about early human innovation and migration.