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In the 1920s archaeologists discovered a
complete skull of an ape-man dating back 600,000 years which was
later named as Peking Man. Stone tools and evidence of Peking Man's
use of firs were later found on the mountain. Studies have shown
that Peking Man walked on his feet and lived 690,000 years ago.
His society lived in groups in caves and survived by hunting. The
group could make use of rough stone tools and knew how to use fire
for heating and cooking.
The discovery included six complete skulls
of Peking man, 12 skull fragments, 15 mandibles, 157 teeth and some
sections of broken femur, shinbone, and upper arm bones belonging
to more than 40 individuals of different ages and sexes. In addition
100,000 fragments of stone tools were found together with sites
used for fire and burnt bones and stones.
Peking Man created a unique Old Stone Culture,
which had much influence to the Old Stone Culture of north China.
Stone tools are the principal relics of this remote culture. Also
discovered in Zhoukoudian are stone points, a new production tool
then, and bone articles made and used by Peking Man. Found in the
caves were such tools as the larger end of an antler that had been
used as a hammer and the sharp end of an antler used as a digging
tool.
The use of fire was a milestone of the development
of civilization and the discovery of Peking Man has pushed back
the time that man first used it by tens of thousands of years. The
largest ash pile discovered in the caves is six meters thick. Fire
allowed people to eat cooked food instead of raw food and promoted
the development of the brain and improved health. With his rough
tools and simple living conditions Peking Man created a unique and
very ancient culture.
Included in the UNESCO world heritage list
in 1987.
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