Lantian Man Site1In July, 963, the vertebrate paleontology Investigation Team of the Institute of Paleoanthropology of China Academy of Sciences found an old female mandible fossil in Chenjiawo, Xiehu Town, about 0/0 km west of Lantian County. In May of the following year, a basically complete middle-aged female skull fossil was found in Gongwangling formation.
Chenjiawo fossils date back about 600,000 years, belonging to the middle of Middle Pleistocene. Near the land where the Lantian ape-man fossils were unearthed in Gongwangling, there are many production tools used by Paleolithic people, including sharp tools, chopping tools, scrapers, stone chips, stone cores and other stone tools. One side of the pointer has a blade, and the other side of the stone remains intact, which is suitable for hand holding. Scraper has four forms: straight blade, concave blade, convex blade and compound blade. It is used to scrape wooden tools and skin animals.
Lantian ape-man culture remains, mainly making stone tools, with more than 50 pieces, which are divided into sharp tools, choppers and scrapers. The utensils are mainly processed on one side, and the techniques are extremely rough. With Lantian people, there are more than 30 kinds of large animals such as giant panda, water deer, macaque, wild boar, saber-toothed tiger and pig leopard. Natural conditions are very difficult.
However, many scholars believe that the two specimens are obviously different in their original degree and their ages are different. It is suggested that a new species of Lantian people should be established for Gongwangling skull. The scientific name of Chen's mandible is Chen Zhili subspecies, which can also be called "Chen Ren".
Lantian Man is an early human fossil from China. The forehead is flat and wide, the brow bone is thick and convex, the bone wall is thick, the eyes are slightly square, and the mouth is extended forward. The intracranial ear height is 7 1 mm, and the brain volume is 778.4 ml, which is basically equivalent to 775-900 ml of Javanese in Indonesia. According to the paleomagnetic method, there are three different data on the fossil horizon of Gongwangling and Chenjiawo:
1, Chenjiawo: 650,000 years ago;
Gongwangling: 750,000-800,000 years ago.
2. Chenjiawo: 530,000 years ago or 500,000 years ago;
Gongwangling: 980,000 years ago or 6,543.8+0,000 years ago.
3. Chenjiawo: 650,000 years ago;
Gongwang Mausoleum: 1 15000 years ago.
Generally speaking, Gongwangling is about 6.5438+0 million years ago, and its geological age is early Middle Pleistocene or late Early Pleistocene. Chenjiawo fossils date back about 600,000 years, belonging to the middle of Middle Pleistocene. More than 40 kinds of animal fossils have also been unearthed in Gongwangling, among which the most striking ones are those with strong southern colors, such as saber-toothed elephants, giant pandas and claws, hairy-crowned deer and water deer. This shows that the northern foot of Qinling Mountain where Lantian ape-man lived was warm and humid, with lush vegetation and trees, which was very suitable for primitive human reproduction and survival. The discovery of the skull of Gongwangling ape-man in Lantian, Shaanxi Province is of great academic value. It expands the distribution range of known Chinese ape-man and increases the distribution points of world ape-man fossils, which is of great significance for exploring and investigating the origin of human beings. [2]
4 Archaeological significance
Lantian man is an early human being in China. His discovery is of great significance, which not only proves that China is one of the cradles of human beings, refutes the error of China's "Alien Theory", but also proves the correctness of Marx's theory that "labor created human beings".
Lantian people are early Paleolithic humans and belong to Homo erectus. Found in Gongwangling and Chenjiawo, Lantian County, Shaanxi Province. Lantian people in Gongwangling are about 800,000-750,000 years ago, and Lantian people in Chenjiawo are about 530,000 years ago.
Lantian fossils were found in 1963 ~ 1965 early Pleistocene strata in Gongwangling, Lantian County, Shaanxi Province. Archaeologists' research shows that the brain capacity of Lantian people is about 778 ml larger than that of Beijing People's Congress. But one thing has attracted people's attention, that is, they have been able to walk completely upright, which is the earliest Homo erectus found in northern Asia. This discovery is of great significance, because standing upright is an important symbol of becoming a person.
Five games
Lantian Man
Lantian Man once referred to the early Paleolithic Homo erectus fossils found in Gongwangling and Chenjiawo, Lantian County, Shaanxi Province, China. However, many scholars believe that this name is suitable for the Homo erectus fossils of Gongwangling, while the Homo erectus fossils of Chenjiawo are called "Chenjiawo people". The geological age of Gongwangling site is early Middle Pleistocene, and the paleomagnetic dating data is about 6.5438+0 million years ago, about 800,000 to 750,000 years ago. The geological age of Chenjiawo site also belongs to the Middle Pleistocene. The chronological data measured by paleomagnetic method is about 650 thousand years ago and about 500 thousand years ago. In Gongwangling, which is on the same floor as human fossils, stone tools characterized by three-edged sharp weapons were also unearthed, and traces of fire were found. Gongwangling fossil is the oldest Homo erectus fossil found in northern Asia so far. [