Abstract: The Liyudun Neolithic site, located in Suixi, Guangdong Province, is dated to 7000- 6000 BP. The authors applied anthropometrical methods to quantify the human skulls. Results show that the skulls have traits fiting the Liyudun residents into the range of Mongolian Group. These residents have close morphological similarities to modern South Asian groups. Using e cluster analysis and traits analysis, three groups, Liyudun, Hedang and Dongwanzaibei show relatively close relationships. Liujiang and Zengpiyan also are similar. Youyugang is distant to other groups. And yet by conducting a Mahalanobis distance and factor analysis involving a wider geographic range, the Liyudun group is also distant from other groups. The authors found that there was a process of brachycephalization, acrocephalization and hypsicephalization in absolute measurement values, however a process of dolichocephalization in cranial index. This fact shows the maximum cranial length decreases faster than maximum cranial breadth during the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene, so we assume that the typical dolichocrany of modern South Asian groups appears at the beginning of Holocene.

Key words: Zhanjiang; Liyudun; Neolithic; Skull; Morphology