China News Service, Beijing, September 28 (Reporter Ying Ni) The reporter learned from the "Archaeological China" major project conference held by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China in Beijing on the 28th that a newly discovered ancient human skull fossil was found at the Liangzi site of Shiyan School in Hubei Province. , is the most complete Homo erectus skull fossil discovered in the Eurasian inland so far, which proves the human history of China for millions of years.
Skull No. 3 of Yunxian people.
Photo courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage
The Xuetang Liangzi Site is located in Yunyang District, Shiyan City, and is a large wilderness site in the early Paleolithic Age.
In 1989 and 1990, two ancient human skull fossils were unearthed from the Xuetang Liangzi site, dating from 800,000 to 1.1 million years ago. They belonged to the early Homo erectus and were named "Yunxian people" by academic circles.
Approved by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has conducted systematic archaeological excavations on the Xuetang Liangzi site since 2021.
According to Gao Xing, a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a relatively well-preserved ancient human skull was discovered in May this year, named "Yunxian Man No. 3 Skull".
The No. 3 skull fossil is about 35 meters away from the site where the previous two skull fossils were found. It was found in the cultural layer about 0.62 meters deep from the surface. The frontal bone (including the brow ridge), orbit, parietal bone, left zygomatic bone and temporal bone have been exposed. And the left side of the occipital bone, the shape is clear, without obvious deformation, and also accompanied by a large number of animal fossils and stone products unearthed.
At present, the lower half of the fossil skull is still in the native soil layer, and the right side is partially embedded in the south wall.
In the follow-up, extraction and restoration plans will be formulated, and a multidisciplinary comprehensive cross-study of the site will be carried out simultaneously.
The archaeological excavation site of the Liangzi site of Shiyan School in Hubei Province.
Photo courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage
He pointed out that the "Yunxian Man No. 3 Skull" is similar to the previous two fossil burial environments, associated fauna and technical characteristics of stone products. The preliminary judgment should be of the same era, and scientific and technological dating is needed for confirmation.
Yunxian Man is at a key point in the evolution of Homo erectus. Skull No. 3 is the most complete Homo erectus skull fossil discovered at the same time in Eurasian inland so far. Important evidence also confirms the millions of years of human history in China.
It is reported that after the discovery of the fossils, the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other units formed a cooperative team to coordinate the promotion of laser scanning and 3D reconstruction, micromorphological analysis, geological and geomorphological research and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Multi-disciplinary cooperative research such as dating, fully apply modern scientific and technological means to extract remains information to the maximum extent, and ensure the quality and level of archaeological work.
Skull No. 3 of Yunxian people.
Photo courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage
At the same time, Guan Qiang, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, also reported at the meeting that in the first to third quarters of 2022, the national archaeological work will be carried out in an orderly manner, and important progress has been made.
The 18 major research projects of "Archaeological China" are being promoted as a whole, and 254 active archaeological excavation projects have been systematically implemented.
1,157 archaeological projects for capital construction were carried out in a timely and efficient manner, and 20 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) implemented the policy and measures of "archaeology first, transfer later", and archaeology for capital construction effectively guaranteed economic and social development.
The deep-sea archaeology in the Xisha waters has exceeded 2,000 meters, and the Shanghai Yangtze River Estuary No. 2 ancient ship archaeology and cultural relics protection project has been launched, and the underwater archaeology highlights are outstanding.
The top ten new archaeological discoveries in the country and the "China Archaeological Conference" have promoted the continuous rise of "archaeological fever".
The number of 71 archaeological institutions across the country has increased by more than 1,500, and 8 archaeological professional training courses have systematically trained 219 front-line archaeologists. The construction of archaeological teams has achieved remarkable results.
(Finish)
Skull No. 3 of Yunxian people.
Photo courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage