Acta Anthropologica Sinica ›› 1983, Vol. 2 ›› Issue (02): 124-206.

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Early Neolithic human skulls from Hemudu, Yuyao, Zhejiang

Han Kangxin, Pan Qifeng   

  • Online:1983-06-15 Published:1983-06-15

Abstract: The human bones studied in this paper were unearthed by the Archaeological Group of Zhejiang Provincial Museum frof early neolithic Hemudu site, Yuyao County, Zhejiang Province in 1977. The age of Hemudu culture, according to 14C dating, is about 7000 years B. P.
Among 13 skeletons observed only 4 are adults and the others belong to children about 6-15 years old, Only 2 skulls can be studied because of poor preservation of the material of this site.
Based on morphological observation and cranial measurements, skulls of Hemudu have features of both Mongoloid and Negro-Australoid. Some Mongoloid characters of them are more obvious than late Paleolithic human skull of Liujiang.
Most of neolithic human skulls from southern China have charcteristics of both Mongoloil and Oceanic Negroid. The similar morphological type can be traced back to Paleolithic proto-Mongoloid of southern China. It may be supposed that there are similar gene pool between the ancestors of Oceanic Negroid and the continental proto-Mongoloid of Asia.
No evidence of custom of extracting tooth was found on Hemudu skulls.

Key words: Hemudu, Neolithic; Mongoloid; Human skull