Acta Anthropologica Sinica ›› 1982, Vol. 1 ›› Issue (01): 42-108.

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Late neolithic human skeletons from Hedang site, Foshan, Guangdong

Han Kangxin; Pan Qifeng   

  • Online:1982-03-15 Published:1982-03-15

Abstract: The materials of human bone studied in this paper were unearthed by the Archaeological Group of the Guangdong Provincial Museum from Late Neolithic He-dang Shell Mound Site in Foshan City, Guangdong Province in 1978. The age of this site, according to C14 dating, is about 4000 years B. P.Only 8 skulls can be studied because of poor preservation of the material.
Of 57 skeletons observed 19 males and 27 females can be determined. The age of most deads is about 24—55 years old.
Sexual identification of the human bone indicates that burial direction of the deads is different with sex. The heads of males are westward and those of females are eastward.
Based on morphological observation, the skulls of Hedang population have features of both Mongoloid and Negro-Australoid than classical Northern Mongoloid.
The comparison of the skull and bone measurements shows that the stature of males is higher than that of females. The former is 166 cm., the latter is 154 cm. But the size of the female skulls is little bigger than that of the male. Average cranial capacity of the male group and the female is 1427 ml. and 1438 ml. respectively.
The custom of extracting upper incisors was found in Hedang population very commonly. The general pattern is that a pair of the upper lateral incisors are extracted. There are also some subpatterns with var ions combinations of incisors extracted.

Key words: Physical character; Burial custom; Pattern of extracting tooth