(Question about things) What those who have witnessed say | Xie Fei: Where do the people in the East come from?
China News Service, Shijiazhuang, November 8th, title: Where do the humans in the East come from?
Author Xie Fei (Paleolithic Archaeologist, Chief Scientist of the Eastern Human Source Exploration Project in Hebei Province)
The origin of the universe, the origin of life and the origin of mankind are the mysteries of the three origins of the world.
This year is a century of archaeology in Nihewan, the "hometown of eastern humans". With the in-depth archaeological excavations of Nihewan, does it mean that the "uniqueness of Africa" theory of human origin has been overturned?
In fact, Nihewan does not challenge monism, nor does it emphasize the origin of mankind here, but the analysis and research on the communication routes related to the world's human origin model, the identification of different archaeological cultures, and the physical anthropology, which makes the human origin theory model. Get a more scientific and comprehensive interpretation.
Photo courtesy of Xie Fei
Nihewan is "China's Olduvai Gorge"
Geological investigations and archaeological excavations in Nihe Bay have gone through a hundred years.
The early scientific research work in Nihewan was dominated by Western scholars and was carried out in the context of scientific research and expedition boom in the "Human Origin of Central Asia Theory" at the beginning of the last century.
The later research work was completed by Chinese scholars.
In 1921, French priest Vincent of Nihewan Catholic Church found a group of Quaternary mammal fossils in the strata near Nihewan. The scientific discovery of Nihewan began that year.
In 1924, American geologist Balbo took the lead in conducting a short scientific investigation of the Nihewan, and named the Quaternary formation here as the Nihewan layer, giving the Nihewan scientific meaning for the first time.
In 1965, Wang Zeyi of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences took the lead in discovering the Hutouliang site in the late Paleolithic era, unveiling the veil of ancient human activities in the Nihewan Basin for the first time.
In 1972, Ge Pei and Wei Qi of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences began to excavate the Hutouliang site group, which was the beginning of the archaeological excavation of the Nihewan Paleolithic Age.
In 1978, You Yuzhu of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and others discovered the epoch-making Xiaochangliang site, which pushed the ancient human activities in Nihe Bay to the Early Pleistocene, a million years ago.
So far, archaeologists have established the basic framework of early, middle and late Paleolithic archaeology for Nihewan.
"China News" newspaper drawing
After nearly half a century of hard work, the Paleolithic archaeological research work of Nihewan has made remarkable achievements:
First, the discovery of the Majuangou site has pushed the history of ancient human activities in Nihe Bay to around 2 million years ago, making it "the hometown of eastern humans."
Second, the discovery of early pottery pieces at the Yujiagou site pushed the pottery industry in northern China to more than 10,000 years ago.
Third, it has constructed a relatively continuous and complete sequence of archaeological culture in various periods of the Paleolithic age since 2 million years.
Fourth, it provides precious scientific data for the establishment of the transitional model of the New Paleolithic Age in northern China. The advanced fine stone technology here directly participates in and promotes this revolutionary process.
Fifth, Nihewan has a dense archaeological site, a long time span, and a continuous culture, forming a long river of Chinese culture that has never dried up and died, thus enjoying the "Chinese Paleolithic Archaeological Holy Land", "The Hometown of Oriental Humans" and " "Olduvai Gorge in China" (Olduvai Gorge, located in the east of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania, is an east-west gorge in the Great Rift Valley. It is about 50 kilometers long and 900 meters deep. It is rich in ancient human fossils, paleolithic and mammal fossils. It is well-known in the world and is recognized as the birthplace of mankind by the world's academic circles) and other reputations.
The head of the ancient "Oriental Human" sculpture in Nihewan.
Photo by Zhang Fan
The excavation of the Majuangou site will advance the "Nihewan people" to about 2 million years ago
In 2001, when my team of Hebei archaeologists excavated the Majuangou site in the Nihewan Basin, they discovered for the first time the remains of ancient humans eating about 2 million years ago.
This not only advances the history of ancient human activities in Nihe Bay to around 2 million years ago, but also exposes for the first time the remains of ancient humans eating grassland mammoths and the rows of footprint pits left by grassland mammoths walking in archaeological sites.
The main archaeological evidence we have obtained includes: the broken bones of hyenas and human leftover grassland mammoths belong to one individual, and there are traces of scraping, slashing and smashing left by stone tools when ancient humans cut meat and eat, knocking bones to suck the marrow; scattered The sections of the stone products are fresh, and many of them can be assembled into larger stones, indicating that they were transported by humans, and stone pieces were produced on site, processed and repaired into stone tools, etc.
This is the first time that a complete steppe mammoth footprint has been found in the world's Paleolithic archaeological site.
This has changed the origin of the steppe mammoth in academic research, proving that it did not originate in Europe 800,000 to 1.2 million years ago, but originated in Nihe Bay in Asia 2 million years ago.
Distribution map of cultural relics at the Majuangou site
Nihewan did not overthrow the "theory of human origin in Africa"
The excavation of the Nihe Bay by archaeologists found the second relics of ancient human activities on the earth 2 million years ago outside East Africa, but this does not mean that the "African Unique Theory" of human origin has been overturned.
"The theory of human origin in Africa" was first put forward by Darwin based on the theory of biological evolution a century and a half ago. Although it is not a sure sign, it is at least a model of human evolution generally accepted by the international scientific community.
It is not uncommon for archaeological sites reported outside Africa to be 2 million years ago. In China, it is not only in Nihe Bay, and some sites are even believed to be more than 2 million years old.
However, the archaeological sites in Nihewan are densely packed, with complete times, a clear and coherent cultural sequence, and a wide range of international cognition.
Nihe Bay contains a nearly complete development trajectory of the occurrence and evolution of eastern humans and their culture in the world, providing the earliest and most credible evidence of human survival in Northeast Asia, and also finding the source and destination for Chinese apes and their culture .
In recent years, Nihewan’s research work has mainly been the "Oriental Human Source Exploration Project", which aims to establish a foothold in the East of the world, especially in Northeast Asia, trying to explain the evolution of humans and their culture here, in order to unravel the origins of humans in the world. The mystery provides reliable scientific evidence.
Nihewan is not a challenge to the monism of "the theory of human origin in Africa", nor does it emphasize the origin of mankind in Nihewan, but an analysis of the communication routes related to the world's human origin model, the identification of different archaeological cultures, and the analysis of physical anthropology Research in order to obtain a more scientific and comprehensive interpretation of the theoretical model of human origin.
Of course, in the study of the origin of modern humans, the archaeological data of Nihewan is also worthy of attention.
It’s only a matter of time before the "Nihewan people" appeared
Fossils of ancient humans have been found at two archaeological sites in Nihewan, among which 20 human remains, including fragments of teeth and skulls, unearthed at the Houjiayao site are the most important.
Although it is relatively late, about one hundred thousand years ago, it also occupies a very important position in the history of Chinese paleoanthropology.
Regrettably, so far, the "Nihewan people" that the society has been looking forward to and the archaeologists have been dreaming of for over a million years have not been discovered.
The reason is that, on the one hand, most of the archaeological sites in Nihewan are open-air sites. Early human life inhabited the lakeside area of Nihewan. The remains after death were either eaten by carnivores or discarded in the wilderness. After long-term weathering, it is lost or washed away by water, and the chance of preservation is very low.
On the other hand, the site has not been excavated on a large scale, and there are few opportunities for human fossils to be discovered.
But archaeologists always firmly believe that it is only a matter of time before the "Nihewan People" appear, and people look forward to this day.
Schematic diagram of the distribution of Nihewan Paleolithic sites
The immeasurable impact of the Sino-US Nihewan joint archaeological impact
Nihewan archaeology can be described as a microcosm of Chinese archaeology for a century.
After the reform and opening up, the first foreign-related cooperative archaeological project approved by the State Council of China was in Nihewan, the Sino-US cooperative research on the Donggutuo site in Nihewan from 1991 to 1992.
His achievements have an immeasurable impact on Chinese paleolithic archaeology.
Chinese and American scholars have conducted extensive exchanges of academic ideas and research methods through collaborative exploration and research.
Through personal experience in Nihewan, American scholars recognized the research results of Nihewan Paleolithic archaeology, especially the recognition of the early Pleistocene Paleolithic sites and their dates.
At the same time, Chinese scholars have systematically mastered scientific field excavation techniques and experimental analysis methods, and have basically achieved integration with the world in terms of paleolitic archaeological theories and methods.
A group of young Chinese scholars with both ability and political integrity have been rigorously trained in practical work, and their basic skills in field and indoor research are also more solid.
Photo courtesy of Nihewan Archaeological Research Institute, Hebei Normal University
The protection and development of Nihe Bay is of great significance
First of all, continue to implement the Nihewan Oriental Mankind Source Project, and strive for major breakthroughs in investigation, excavation and research work, making it truly a scientific sacred place for exploring the origin and development of mankind in the East and even the world, and a historical and cultural business card for Hebei Province and even China. .
Secondly, through the construction of the Nihewan National Archaeological Site Park, it will become a base for scientific research, education, science popularization, publicity, and display, a unique world cultural heritage site, and a cultural heritage protection project that integrates into economic and social development and benefits the people. A model, becoming a publicity and education base and a tourist destination that can fully demonstrate the occurrence, reproduction and evolution of humans in the East.
Nihe Bay has the natural qualities to create a unique and world-class ancient cultural tourism destination. It is of significance for the protection and utilization of super-large cultural heritage featuring Quaternary Geology, Paleoanthropology, and Paleolithic archeology. Very significant.
(over)
About the Author:
Xie Fei, born in 1953, is a native of Anxin County, Hebei Province.
In 1979, he graduated from the Department of Geology and Geography of Peking University with a degree in paleontology and stratigraphy. In 1982, he obtained a master of science degree from Peking University.
He used to be the director of the Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Research Institute and the deputy director of the Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau.
The remains of important ancient human food activities, complete grassland mammoth footprint pits and a large number of cultural relics discovered at the Nihewan Majuangou site have pushed the ancient human activities of Nihewan and North China to around 2 million years ago. .
He is currently the president of the Hebei Province Jinshi Society, a librarian of the Provincial Museum of Culture and History, and the chief scientist of the Oriental Human Source Exploration Project in Hebei Province.