Peking Man Site

In 1921, an area of land in Zhoukoudian, Fangshan district (near Beijing) was discovered by the swedish archaeologist and paleontologist Johan Gunnar Andersson, which showed traces of ancient human remains. He began excavation with the Autrian paleontologist Otta Zdansky, and they found three fossilized human teeth. In 1928 more teeth, a lower jaw and skull fragments were found, and in 1929, the fossilized skull of the Peking Man as well as primitve tools. In 1930 further excavation uncovered more cultural relics and fossils, from humans living on the site 20,000 years ago. Unfortunately, due to the ensuing instability in China, the fossil samples were lost and still have not been found. Their whereabout remains a mystery to this day.

The discovery of the Peking Man is a very important one, as it provides more evidence of human evolutionism, and is a previously missing link between ape and man. However, there is still much debate about which of the two categories the Peking Man falls into; ape or man. Whatever your opinion, there is no doubt that the Peking Man was one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century, and still holds great scientific importance today.