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    15 June 2005, Volume 24 Issue 02
    Lithic artefacts collected from open-air sites during 1995-1999 investigations in Luonan Basin, China
    WANG Shejiang, SHEN Chen, HU Songmei, ZHANG Xiao-bing, Wang Changfu, Richard Cosgrove
    2005, 24(02):  87-103. 
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    Since 1995, a total of 268 Palaeolithic open-air sitesPlocalities were identified in the Luonan Basin, from which 13579 lithic artefacts were collected. The present paper focuses on the technological analyses of 1751 lithic artefacts collected from 50 open-air sites during 1995 ) 1999 investigations. The paper presents (1) descriptions of the lithic assemblages, (2) results of the typo-technological analyses of the artefacts, and (3) discussions on aspects of site function.
    The analysis suggests that the stone tools from the open-air sites were made of local raw materials which come from the cobbles of the South Luohe River. The raw materials are of high quantity and quality. They were procured, transported, and used by early hominids at these locations. A wide variety of raw materials were selected for tool manufacture; however preference was given to isotropic stone such as cream quartzite, greywacke, dark grey quartzite and quartz.
    Cores comprise the largest proportion of lithic classes, characterized mainly by single platform and double platforms.Most cores show low numbers of flake scars, suggesting an opportunistic use of raw materials because of their abundant supply. Further, this pattern points to an unspecialised and expedient technology, even though there is some evidence for sophisticated manufacturing in the form of Levallois-like techniques. Like the cores, the flake platforms are dominated by cortical surfaces. However, the presence of fine percussion points with a relatively high proportion of non-cortical dorsal surfaces demonstrate that these early hominids had a technical control over the production of flakes and were skilled in the handling of various raw materials. The flake shapes show that the square or rectangular marginal forms are the dominant categories. The triangular form also appears to have a relative high frequency while the irregular form is less common. Thus, the standardisation of flake shape may be indicative of attempts to regularise flake production. The other important feature of the assemblage is that b-i polar flakes are uncommon.The main percussion techniques that were used were direct hard hammer percussion and anvi-l chipping techniques. Tools include a variety of Mode I / chopper-chopping tools0 such as choppers, scrapers, points, and burins. In addition, many typical Acheulian-like artefacts such as hand-axes, cleavers and b-i facially modified trihedrals were identified. Moreover, Acheulian-like artefacts dominate the assemblages and are mostly made from both larger primary flakes and flat pebbles. Small amounts of flaking debris occur on the open-air sites suggesting that reduction of the cores may have occurred elsewhere.
    The lithic artefact morphology and tool composition in the open-air sites of the Luonan Basin share some common characteristics with other open-air sites in South China. For example, these industries produced higher presence of b-i facially retouched heavy-duty and ligh-t duty tools that may represent an Acheulian-like Palaeolithic cultural pattern. The open-air sites across the basin shed new light on land- use pattern of early hominids.Our previous study suggests the Longyadong cave site probably represents a preferred site of occupation by early hominids repeatedly visited over a long period of time. The significance of different lithic technologies between the cave and open-air sites is that these two kinds of sites represent different functions involving different hominid behaviours using a range of different tools.
    The stone artifacts excavated from Gaojiazhen paleolithic site in 1998
    PEI Shuwen, WEI Qi, FENG Xingwu, CHEN Fuyou, GAO Xing, ZHU Songlin, WU Tianqing, LI Guohong
    2005, 24(02):  104-120. 
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    The Gaojiazhen Paleolithic site, buried in the third terrace of the right bank of the Yangtze River, is located in the Guihuacun village, Gaojiazhen town, Fengdu county, Chongqing. The site was excavated in 1995 and 1998, exposing an area of about 456m2 , as past of the salvage archeological project in the Three Gorges Region.
    Four stratigraphic layers were identified at the site, with the total thickness of more than 9 meters. Archaeological materials were mainly unearthed from the 4th layer, a layer of alluvial pebbles, 210 ) 215m in thickness, 174 ) 178m above the sea-level. A total of 719 stone artifacts were unearthed.
    The stone assemblage includes cores ( 340) , flakes ( 192) , chunks ( 102) and retouched tools ( 85) . The general features of these artifacts are summarized as follows:
    1) Stone raw materials exploited at the site were locally available from ancient riverbeds. More than 5 kinds of raw material were utilized in core reduction and tool manufacture: silicarenite, quartzite, hypabyssal irruptive rock, volcanic breccia rock and lava. Silicarenite is the predominant raw material used for producing stone artifacts at the site.
    2) The principal flaking technique at the site is direct hammer percussion without core preparation.
    3) About 813 percent of flakes could have been utilized directly without modification.
    4) Major blanks for tool fabrication are cores and pebbles ( 1518% ) , followed by complete flakes and incomplete flakes.
    5) Most tools are large in size.
    6) Chopper is the dominating tool type, followed by scraper, pick and notch.
    7) Modified tools appear to be retouched by direct hammer percussion, mostly unifically retouched on the vental surface of blanks.
    The Gaojiazhen stone tool assemblage shows close tie with the Main Industry in South China. Geomorphological comparison has yielded an age close to upper Middle Pleistocene. Comparative studies indicated that the lithic technology of the Three Gorges Region might serve as a technological link between Paleolithic industries from the Sichuan Basin and that from the lower reach of the Yangtze River.
    The cranial metric diversity of Chinese Homo erectus
    LIU Wu, ZHANG Yinyun
    2005, 24(02):  121-136. 
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    For the past decade, the morphological variations of Asian Homo erectus, and their significance in the origin and evolution of Homo erectus in Asia have attracted great attentions in the paleoanthropological research around the world. Some colleagues have suggested that both the morphologican and metric cranial features of Zhoukoudian Homo erectus possess different patterns from the African and other Asian specimens assigned to Homo erectus. Some researchers even doubt the traditional opinion that the cranial features of Zhoukoudian specimens be regarded as the typical morphological pattern of the Homo erectus around the world. To further explore this problem, multivariate analyses were used to the cranial metric data of 33 Homo erectus specimensfound in Africa and Eurasia. Our results indicate that the mainland Asian Homo erectus of Zhoukoudian and Nanjing exhibits unique cranial metric pattern not shared by African and Indonesian Homo erectus. Zhoukoudian and Nanjing specimens are characterized by a wide midvault and relatively narrow frontal and occipital bones , while the crania of Indonesian and African Homo erectus have relatively broad frontal and occipital dimensions compared to their midvaults. Our analysis also reveals that the Homo erectus cranium found in Hexian of China resembles Indonesian and African specimens in metric pattern, and obviously differs from thossed of Zhoukoudian and Nanjing. Based on these findings, a series of problems including the evolution of Homo erectus cranial metric features, the characteristics of Zhoukoudian Homo erectus crania, and the temporal and regional variations of Asian Homo erectus are discussed.
    A study of the physical characteristics of the Bouyei Nationality
    ZHENG Lianbin, ZHANG Shuli, LU Shunhua, ZHAO Zhou, SUO Liya, YANG Jianhui
    2005, 24(02):  137-144. 
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    Physical characteristics of 494 Bouyei nationality adults(259 males and 235 females) were investigated. Means and the standard deviations of 58 anthropometric measurements, 31 physical indices and the percentages, and 9 somatoscopic measurements were calculated. Comparisons of the results were made with other nationalities in China. The physical characteristics of the Bouyei nationality show the follow characteristics:
    The eye fold of the upper eyelid was common in this group (9514 % in males and 9710 % in females). The Mongoloid fold had a low frequency as it was observable in 3015 % males and 3513 % females. The nasal root height was medium in the most of males and low in females. The nostril height was medium and lobe type was frequently rounded. Hair color was black and eye color was commonly brown. Most males and females had yellow to light yellow skin color. Some common physical types, included brachycephaly, hypsicephaly, tapeinocephalic, euruprosopy, mesorrhiny, a medium length of trunk, and medium chest circumference, a broad shoulder breadth and a broad distance between iliac crests. The average stature was 15816cm for males and 14914cm for females.
    Secular growth change of Children in the past thirty-eight years in Jinan and Qingdao
    ZHANG Yingxiu, LI Zemin, ZHANG Pengcai
    2005, 24(02):  145-151. 
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    This article analysed the secular growth change of children aged 7 ) 18 in Jinan and Qingdao from 1962 to 2000. In the past thirty2eight years, the stature of children aged 7 ) 18 in Jinan showed an average increased 15148cm in boys and 12109cm in girls, with body weight increases of 15176kg for boys and 10101kg for girls. Chest measurement increases were 7188cm in boys and 14110cm in girls. In Qingdao, stature estimates averaged increases of 17112cm in boys and 13119cm in girls, body weight increases of 16198kg in boys and 10146kg in girls, and chest measurement increases 6172cm in boys and 3105cm in girls. Stature increases for children in Qingdao were significantly higher than children in Jinan. The difference in secular growth change of children between Jinan and Qingdao appeared from 1985 to 2000.
    A study of infant somatotype of the Zhuang Nationality using the Heath2Carter method
    HUANG Xiufeng, WEI Rongyao, MO Jinli, WU Xueming, ZHONG Bin
    2005, 24(02):  152-157. 
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    To study the growing somatotypes of infants of the state, the Heath2Carter method was applied to 439 Zhuang infants ( 228 males; 211 females) with ages ranging from three to six in Bose City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Results were as follows: (1) With increasing age, values of the inner and middle genes are decreased, while that of the outer genes increased; (2) The average value of the somatotype of each age group was: middle gene value> inner gene value> outer gene value. Among males and females aged three to five, they all fit in the endo2mesomorphic group. Males aged six were of the balanced mesomorphic group. Females aged six were in the middle of the three groups; (3) The value of SAD between males and females of similar ages was 0133 ) 0154, while T was 1169 ) 2135. The malePfemale somatotype showed no significant difference ( P> 0105) except groups aged three ( P< 0105). In conclusion: it can be stated that compared with the somatotype of the Han Nationality, all the values of the Zhuang somatotype were lower and the distribution of the Zhuang somatotype more dispersed.
    Elemental analysis of ancient human bones from the Jiahu Site
    HU Yao wu, James H. Burton, WANG Chang sui
    2005, 24(02):  158-165. 
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    Palaeodietary analysis is one of i portant fields in bioarchaeology, but there has been a lack of syste atic studies on this topic in China. Ele ental analysis of ancient hu an bones fro the Jiahu Site, Henan, was undertaken to investigate details on palaeodiet. The change of log( Sr/Ca) and log( Ba/Ca) during the whole phases indicated a lifestyle transition fro hunting and gathering to rice agriculture and ani al do estication. Abnor ality in the results of log ( Sr/Ca) and log ( Ba/Ca) in sa ple 249 was probably relevant to i igration to this region.