China launches a new round of archaeological excavation and archaeology at the Yuanmou Ape Man Site | Region | Ape Man Site
The sixth archaeological excavation of the Yuanmou Ape Man Site officially started on July 21st, and more than 80 scientific researchers will systematically carry out multidisciplinary comprehensive research on the site and surrounding areas.
Aerial photography of the archaeological excavation area at the Yuanmou Ape Man Site. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Anhao
More than 50 years ago, the discovery of Yuanmou Man fossils in Yuanmou County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province opened a new chapter in the history of ancient humans in China. The Yuanmou Ape Man Site is located on a hillside about 200 meters away from Danawu Village in Yuanmou County. On May 1, 1965, Qian Fang and others discovered two fossils of ancient human teeth here, dating back approximately 1.7 million years. Subsequently, multiple excavations and investigations were carried out within the site area. In 1973, 16 stone tools were unearthed from archaeological excavations, and some charcoal fragments were distributed in the stratigraphic layers, indicating that the Yuanmou Monkey Man was not only capable of making tools, but also could not rule out the possibility of using fire.
Over the years, relevant departments at the provincial and state levels have done a lot of work on the protection of the Yuanmou Ape Man Site. Ruan Qijun, the leader of the Yuanmou Ape Man Joint Archaeological Excavation and the deputy research librarian of the Yunnan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, introduced that from November 2022 to June this year, with the support of the National Cutural Heritage Administration, the Yunnan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, together with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Qinghai Tibet Plateau Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other units, carried out three stages of special investigation and exploration work on ancient human and paleolithic archaeology in the Yuanmou Ape Man Site and surrounding areas, found a total of 40 paleolithic and Quaternary paleontological fossil sites, and found more than 600 stone specimens and more than 640 animal fossils.
The staff are conducting detailed excavations at the Yuanmou Ape Man Site. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Anhao
The archaeological excavation of Yuanmou Ape Man Site in 2023 is divided into four excavation areas, with a total area of 200 square meters, all located in Guojiabaoliangzi in the southeast of the site. The A and B zones are located near the area where ancient human tibia fossils were excavated in 1984, while the C and D zones are located near the area where pointed bone artifacts were excavated in 1984.
At present, the systematic excavation work in Zone A has been fully carried out, and excavation work in other areas will also be carried out gradually. The reporter saw in Area A that archaeological workers are conducting detailed excavations in the exploration area.
Ruan Qijun said that the Yuanmou Ape Man Site has great scientific, historical, and social value. This archaeological excavation will focus on the fields of paleoanthropology, paleontology, chronology, environmental archaeology, and continue to carry out interdisciplinary joint scientific investigations and research on the site and surrounding areas.