Acta Anthropologica Sinica ›› 1995, Vol. 14 ›› Issue (02): 101-109.

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Evolutional process and depositional cycles of Peking Man Cave in relation to the living environments of Peking Man

Huang Peihua   

  • Online:1995-06-15 Published:1995-06-15

Abstract: Evolutional process of Peking Man Cave may by divided into six periods: penepain level and karst funnels were formed in early pliocene (N12; uplifting of the peneplain and formation of the vertical cave in late Pliocene (N22); filling in the lowermost fissures of the cave during the early Pleistocene (Q1); levelling up the cave floor by deposition of the layers 13-11 in the early period of Middle Pleistocene (Q12; cave enlargement and filling by the collapse of the cave roof and its breccia deposits, from layer 10 to layer 3, during the middle period of Middle Pleistocene (Q22); collapse of the cave roof and its breccia filling up the cave during the layer 2 and the layer 1 were formed in the late Middle Pleistocene (Q32). In the filling process, the cave deposits, from layer 13 to layer 1, can be divided into seven depositional cycles. Each cycle corresponds to a climatic cycle: The lower deposits of a cycle contain silt, clay and travertine deposited from underground flows indicating warm temperate semi-humid climate. The upper deposits of a cycle contain breccia and huge blocks that were formed by the collapse of the cave walls and roof indicating temperate semi-arid climate. The seven cycles allow a correlation with the loess sequence S7-L2 and marine oxygen isotope stages 19-6 of the climatic cycles I-C. Peking Man started to occupy the cave during level up the cave floor by the breccia deposition of the layer 11, about 580 ka B.P. dwelled in eastern part of the cave and first used fire, about 530 ka B.P.; collapse of cave roof in the eastern part and moved to the western part of the cave about 340 ka; left the cave during the collapse of the cave roof and breccia deposit of the layer 3, about 250 ka B.P.

Key words: Cave evolution; Depositional cycle; Living environments; Peking man