Or more wildly known as Peking Man. This hominid was found in Zhoukoudian (which is a cave system), Beijing, China. The primary excavation and discovery of the majority of bones found was in 1929 – 1937. This discovery was the largest collection of Homo erectus ever found with 45 individuals; mostly remains of women and children. The bones that were found were six complete or nearly complete skulls, 14 cranial fragments, six facial fragments, 15 jawbones, 157 teeth, one clavicle, three humeri, carpal bones, seven femurs, and one tibia. Now even thought I said the primary excavation was in the early 1900's, in 1966 two cranial fragments were found that fit two other which were found in 1934 and 1936; this gave us the sixth skull. This collection of bones is what is referred to as “Peking Man.” (It once was the largest collection found at one site, that is until Homo naledi. http://anthropologicalconcepts.weebly.com/blog/-first-week-and-a-physical-anthropological-surprise, but it still is the largest collection of Homo erectus ever found) At first the age of the bones was put as between 200, 000 and 300, 000 but now, after dating has been done on sediments in which they were found, it is believed that they are 400, 000 and 670, 000 years old.
Stone tools, of course, were also found. It is actually the finding of quartz deposits that were not native to the area that had them looking for who was responsible for bringing them to the cave. Just like the large number of bones that were found, there were also a large number of stone tools. There was “evidence” of a controlled fire and it was thought that Peking man was cannibalistic because of how the bones had been torn to get to the brains and bone marrow. But now, even though there were many stone tools found, many archaeologists and anthropologists believe that they did not reside in the cave where they were found, they were eaten in the cave they were found, and not by other Homo erectus.
After seeing how the bones were broken into to get to the meat, it was suggested that if they were cannibalistic it would have been done more precise. Part of a femur had surface etching from stomach acid, which means whatever ate them, regurgitate it. Not only were bones of Homo erectus found, but also those of giant hyenas (Pachycrocuta), which gave the anthropologists the idea to observe how modern hyenas would do with bones. Just like how the long bones of the Homo erectus were broken is how the hyenas would break into long bones to get to the bone marrow. Also, because of the thickness of the actual cranium it is thought the Pachycrocuta chewed through the face “gaining a purchase on the bone surrounding the foramen magnum (the opening in the cranium where the spinal cord enters).” They would then just scrape and chew until the bone cracked open or made an opening large enough to expose the brain. This is why some anthropologists believe the skull bases were destroyed.
Stone tools, of course, were also found. It is actually the finding of quartz deposits that were not native to the area that had them looking for who was responsible for bringing them to the cave. Just like the large number of bones that were found, there were also a large number of stone tools. There was “evidence” of a controlled fire and it was thought that Peking man was cannibalistic because of how the bones had been torn to get to the brains and bone marrow. But now, even though there were many stone tools found, many archaeologists and anthropologists believe that they did not reside in the cave where they were found, they were eaten in the cave they were found, and not by other Homo erectus.
After seeing how the bones were broken into to get to the meat, it was suggested that if they were cannibalistic it would have been done more precise. Part of a femur had surface etching from stomach acid, which means whatever ate them, regurgitate it. Not only were bones of Homo erectus found, but also those of giant hyenas (Pachycrocuta), which gave the anthropologists the idea to observe how modern hyenas would do with bones. Just like how the long bones of the Homo erectus were broken is how the hyenas would break into long bones to get to the bone marrow. Also, because of the thickness of the actual cranium it is thought the Pachycrocuta chewed through the face “gaining a purchase on the bone surrounding the foramen magnum (the opening in the cranium where the spinal cord enters).” They would then just scrape and chew until the bone cracked open or made an opening large enough to expose the brain. This is why some anthropologists believe the skull bases were destroyed.
In 1937 the excavating had to come to an end because of the Japanese invasion and the start of World War II. To make sure the bones that had been excavated were kept safe, seeing how in days before the invasion they had expressed interest in them, Franz Weidenreich, who was studying the Peking Man fossils, planned to send them to the United States to the Museum of Natural History. “...each fossil was wrapped in white tissue paper, cushioned with cotton and gauze, and then wrapped again in stouter paper. These packages were placed in a small wooden box, which was in turn padded and placed with other boxes inside large wooden crates.” They got to the U.S. Embassy, and when there they were entrusted to Colonel William Ashurst who was to claim them as his personal belongings. A party of nine marines were to guard these boxes on a train the next morning that was to take them to a ship which was waiting. But the train never made it to the ship as it was intercepted by Japanese troops. “The marines were sent to prison camps, their ammunition and military equipment was seized, and the fossils were never seen again.”
Luckily, before the bones were even packed up Weidenreich had casts made of them. The search for the original fossils is still in effect. In the 1970's a woman claimed to have them, and sent a photo, but none looked like those which were missing. There was a cranium in the top right corner of the photograph that could have been one of the missing. She demanded a $500,000 for their return, but she disappeared soon after without claiming the money. To this day, no one knows where these bones are. They could be in someones private collection, or buried under some faraway highway. But either way, it is saddening that these pieces of our past are still missing.
Please feel free to comment on what you thought of the blog, or other physical anthropological subjects you would like me to cover.
Luckily, before the bones were even packed up Weidenreich had casts made of them. The search for the original fossils is still in effect. In the 1970's a woman claimed to have them, and sent a photo, but none looked like those which were missing. There was a cranium in the top right corner of the photograph that could have been one of the missing. She demanded a $500,000 for their return, but she disappeared soon after without claiming the money. To this day, no one knows where these bones are. They could be in someones private collection, or buried under some faraway highway. But either way, it is saddening that these pieces of our past are still missing.
Please feel free to comment on what you thought of the blog, or other physical anthropological subjects you would like me to cover.
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