Abstract:

Recent paleoanthropological and Paleolithic archaeological discoveries have drastically altered our theoretical perspectives on modern human origins, evolution and adaptations. China, a vast geographic region in East Asia, has emerged as a hot-spot for such studies. New human fossils and stone tool assemblages have been reported from the area which challenge the “Recent Out-of-Africa” model, based mostly on the African and western Eurasian records. New paleoanthropological research results indicate that early modern humans appeared in South China around 100 kaBP, and might have at least partially evolved from aboriginal populations there. Some archaic Homo sapiens exhibit mosaic or transitional features and possible admixture with Neanderthals and Denisovans. Associated lithic industries exhibit the complexity of early modern human technologies and behaviors. While small flake tools in North China and large pebble tools in South China dominated throughout most of the Pleistocene, beginning from ca. 40 kaBP, a large blade techno-complex appeared at some sites in North China, followed by the emergence of bone tools and personal ornaments in the same area slightly later, indicating possible technological ties with lithic industries in Siberia and Central Asia and possible northwest-to-southeast migrations in northeast Asia during the late Upper Pleistocene. Human fossil remains and archaeological evidence cumulatively suggest that the trajectories of modern human origins and adaptations in China might be different from those of western Eurasia. In this paper, we compile new discoveries and outline progress in research on archaeological studies of the origins and evolution of modern humans in China. We adopt a predominantly archaeological perspective on these critical academic issues, and offer several suggestions for future studies.

Key words: China, origins and evolution of modern humans, behavioral modernity and complexity, continuity with hybridization