32,000-Year-Old Fossilized Skulls of Modern Humans Discovered in Henan

32,000-Year-Old Fossilized Skulls of Modern Humans Discovered in Henan

河南发现3万年前现代人头骨

 

Fossilized human skulls dating back to 32,000 years ago were discovered at the Xianrendong Site in Lushan county of Pingdingshan city, Central China's Henan province, which means that more than 30,000 years ago, there were already human beings in the Central Plains, according to the conference on the research progress of the "Archaeological China" major projects held by the National Cultural Heritage Administration in Beijing on September 27. Believed to be the earliest fossils of the early modern humans found in Henan, they are of great significance to study the origin and evolution of the modern humans in China.

9月27日，国家文物局在北京举行的“考古中国”重大项目重要进展工作会上发布旧石器考古重大发现，在河南鲁山县仙人洞遗址发现距今3.2万年人类头骨化石，这意味着3万多年前，就有人类在中原出现。这是目前河南已知年代最早的早期现代人化石，对研究中国现代人起源、演化具有重大意义。

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Located in Guanyinsi town of Lushan county, the Xianrendong Site is a cave site of the middle and late Palaeolithic Age (3,000,000 BC-10,000 BC) discovered on a steep cliff with an altitude of 576 meters, retaining precious primordial deposits, of which at least three layers were excavated with human remains. Fossilized human skulls and teeth unearthed in the upper strata are major discoveries.

仙人洞位于河南省平顶山市鲁山县观音寺乡境内，海拔576米。仙人洞遗址是旧石器时代中晚期洞穴遗址，处于陡峭崖壁上，保留有珍贵的原生堆积，其中至少3层出土人类遗存。该遗址的重大发现是在上部地层出土人类头骨化石和牙齿。

The major discoveries at the Xianrendong Site. [Photo/Henan Daily App]

More than 40 caves have been found in Pingdingshan, 10 of which have traces of human activities. Compared with them, the Xianrendong cave could be termed a "mansion" at that time for its capacity of housing about 10 persons. The choice of living in caves embodies the wisdom of the ancient people, which can protect them not only from the rain and wind, but from wild animals. Besides, food and water sources can usually be found near the caves, Zhao Qingpo from Henan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, who heads the Paleolithic archaeology project in Pingdingshan city, said.

河南省文物考古研究院平顶山旧石器考古调查项目负责人赵清坡说，在平顶山地区发现40多处洞穴，其中10处洞穴有人类活动痕迹。与周边发现的40多个洞穴相比，仙人洞在当时算一个“豪宅”了，基本上能住10个人左右。早期人类在洞穴安身是古人类生存智慧的体现之一，不仅避雨挡风，还可防野兽攻击。而且洞穴附近必须有充足的食物来源和方便取用的水源。（中文来源/河南日报客户端 记者/陈茁 张体义 温小娟 翻译/赵汉青 海报/实习生王君艺 审校/丁岚）