Abstract:

The hominin activities in China play a vital role in revealing human evolutionary processes and unveiling prehistoric human culture. In the early stage of the Early Pleistocene, a batch of palaeolithic sites have been found in the Three Gorges area and surrounding regions. There have abundant relics which reveal hominin activities, and representative sites include Longgupo site, Longgudong site, Renzidong Paleolithic site, Yuanmou Man site, Majuangou site (MJG I-III), and Lantian hominin site. The geological age dates back to 2.48~1.54 MaBP. Among them, Lantian hominin site has unearthed the well-preserved and oldest-known cranium fossil of Homo erectus in China, which dates back to 1.54~1.65 MaBP. These sites and relics corroborate hominin activities of an earlier age in situand provide the spreading and evolutionary information of hominin around China in the earlier phase.

Based on the previous studies, this paper concentrates on these representative sites of the early stage of the Early Pleistocene. First, it reviews their geological age, geographical location, modern landform, and paleoenvironment (paleoclimate, accompanying paleofauna and paleo flora). Then it discusses spatial-temporal distribution, paleo-geomorphic features and the paleo-ecological environment where these hominin sites are located to deduce the hominin survival behaviour. After a comprehensive analysis, we found that this batch of representative hominin sites centred on the Three Gorges area and spread around it. Their geographic location ranges from 25°N~40°N，101°E~118°E. They are all in the northern hemisphere's mid and low latitudes, situated in East China Monsoon Region. Most sites sit on the 2nd step staircase of China's terrain (one exception stands in the hilly region on the 3^rd step). They share similar paleogeomorphic features that spread along basins’ edges, surrounded by mountains or hills, and next to lakes or rivers. The paleogeographic feature in common should be proximity to large water sources. Their paleovegetation characterizes a subtropical forest or an ecotone between temperate steppe and mixed broadleaf-conifer forest. All sites have unearthed abundant accompanying mammal fossils. That reflects a good palaeoecological environment which can provide hunting and gathering resources for the early-presence hominin. Furthermore, in this interval of prehistorical time, the active conduct of entering and exploiting the cave as living resources suggests that the early hominin had attempted to expand surviving space and improve living quality.

Key words: Early Pleistocene, Three Gorges, hominin, palaeoenvironment, behaviour