Archaeological findings show that Hebei is one of
birthplaces of the Chinese nation. Maybe Hebei was the origin of human race.
|
Nihewan village in Yangyuan
County |
Not
long ago, the standard earth layer of the Pleistocene Era was found in the
Nihewan Basin by the Sanggan River in Yangyuan County, Hebei Province. It can be
compared in archaeological research values with the Olduvai Valley in east
Africa, which is commonly known by the world as the origin of human race. After
80 years of excavation and research, Chinese and foreign archaeologists found 80
cultural relics sites in an area 82 km long and 27 km wide along the Sanggan
River. Tens of thousands of human and animal fossils and various kinds of stone
tools were unearthed. They reflected almost all the evolution process of man from the Paleolithic Age
to the Neolithic Age.
|
At the Majuangou Site, archeologists discover
the dining place of fossil men | So far China has found 25 cultural relics sites which
dates back to over one million years ago. Among them, 21 belong to the Nihewan
cultural sites. Especially the dining place of human 2 million years ago was
found in 2001 for the first time at the Majuangou cultural site, which is
recognized commonly by the world as the standard earth layer of the Fourth
Period. The stone implements found there are the earliest relics of primitive
man so far in Hebei.
The Nihewan cultural
relics are so densely distributed and with so long a history that they are
rarely seen in China and in the world as well. Because of their significance in
prehistory, they were evaluated in 2002 as one of the 100 important
archaeological findings in China. The Xiaochangliang Ruins at the Nihewan
cultural sites,
|
Xie Fei, director of the Nihewan Paleolithic Culture
Research Center, at the excavation spot | as witness to the earliest human activities at the farthest
north end and one of the places of the origin of primitive people in China, had
its name carved into the first step of the bronze passage at the China
Millennium Monument. In 2001, the Nihewan cultural sites were listed among the
fifth batch of cultural relics units under state protection and in 2002
designated as state natural reserve.
“Peking Man”, known as the remote ancestors of the Chinese people,
once lived and multiplied in the land of
Hebei.
|
French missionary E.Licent (right) who has made on the spot investigations
at Nihewan Basin many times in
1920s. |
Zhoukoudian, southwest of Beijing,
was formerly part of Fangshan County under Hebei Province until it was
incorporated into Beijing's Fangshan District in 1958. On the Dragon Bone Hill
near Zhoukoudian, there is a large cave, where excavation work was done
successively by Chinese archaeologists during 1927-1937 and the years after the
founding of New China in 1949. There they discovered bones of over 40 individual
primitive men, fossils of over 100 different mammals, and tens of thousands of
simple stone tools. They also found layers of ashes, which were about 10 meters
deep. On December 2. 1929, a fossilized cranium of primitive man was discovered.
This shocked China and the world. The primitive man was given the name “Peking
Species of Primitive Man of China”, which was simplified to “Peking Primitive
Man” or “Peking Man”. According to archaeologists, “ Peking Man” lived 690,000
years ago in the early stage of primitive society. This shows that in the remote
past Hebei was the place where primitive man lived. Peking Man lived in the
Paleolithic Age. They used chipped stone tools to hunt animals and
gather food. They knew how to use and control fire and lived in large groups.
While transforming the nature and tempering their bodies, they created the
culture of remote ages.
|
American scholars at
Nihewan |
In the Neolithic Age about
6,000-7,000 years ago, human activities in Hebei became more widespread,
covering almost every mountain and plain in north and west Hebei. Cultural
relics representing the Yangshao Culture, Longshan Culture and Microlithic
Culture were found scattering all over the province. Over 70 relic sites of the
Neolithic Age have been found in Hebei, such as the “Cishan Relics” of the
“Cishan” culture, which belongs to the period of the Yangshao Culture. The
Cishan Relics sites, located at the village of Cishan in Wu'an County, is about
7,300 years old. The cultural relics unearthed there from 1976 to 1978 include
earthenware, stone and bone implements, totaling about 2,000 pieces. For
instance, there are earthenware containers and supporters, stone mills, stone
sticks, stone spades and stone sickles, and pig, dog, cattle and chicken bones.
Millet was found among the grains unearthed. It is evident that at that time
there were quite developed agriculture, animal husbandry and grain processing
and that productive forces had reached
|
Russian scholar at
Nihewan | a level higher than the primary stage of
agricultural economy. The findings in the Cishan Relics gave clues for
discovering even earlier origins of China's agriculture, animal husbandry and pottery making. Therefore, this discovery is regarded as a major
breakthrough in the research on the Neolithic Age since the founding of new
China. The large number of cultural relics proves that primitive people had
worked and lived in Hebei 6,000-7,000 years ago. They led a life of part time
fishing and hunting and part time farming and livestock raising. And they
created splendid ancient civilizations.
Hebei, one of the
birthplaces of the Chinese nation, has played an important role in the long
history of China.
|
