Abstract: The Donghulin site, located near the village of Donghulin, Zhaitang, Mentougou District of Beijing, is an important site of early Neolithic age. The present study describes twenty- one maxillary and mandibular teeth of “Donghulin Man 4” (14 C age about 8540 BP, c. 7500 cal BC. ). Most of the teeth have been heavily worn, implying that the diet of the Donghulin people, as hunter-gatherers, is mainly composed of tough and fibrous foods (e. g., seeds of Celtis L. ). The maxillary third molar is reduced, while the X-ray observations conclusively demonstrated that the mandibular third molar is impacted. Dental caries are present in four teeth, and in particular, caries in the left maxillary first and second molars have destroyed the whole layer of dentin; the development of such heavy dental caries implies that the Donghulin people probably have a dietary preference to take in carbohydrate-rich foods with a high frequency.

Key words: Donghulin Man; Tooth wear; Dental caries; Impacted third molar