Abstract:

The Nihewan Basin, filled with fluvial and lacustrine Quaternary deposits contains the densest concentration of Paleolithic sites outside of Africa, and is considered the key region to study environmental fluctuations and human adaptations in North China. Many archaeological discoveries and sites have led to an enlargement of the occupation area and also provided significant information on technological sequences in the Basin. Other developments include new work on magnetostratigraphic, OSL and cosmogenic nuclide dating techniques that have built the chronological framework of human occupation. Paleoanthropological research of the Xujiaoyao hominin remains supports the idea of continuity with hybridization as a major force shaping Chinese populations during the late Middle and early Late Pleistocene. Site formation processes have indicated different site exploitation in the Basin. Lithic technological studies have shown behavioral complexity and technological innovation by Pleistocene humans. Paleoenvironmental reconstruction contribute to explore the human adapted behaviors and environmental driving mechanism. Study of mammalian fauna from the Shanshenmiaozui site paints a more complete picture of Nihewan fauna, and analysis of hominin-carnivore interactions of Xujiaoyao archaic Homo provides a starting point for zooarchaeological work in the Basin.

The Nihewan Basin has become the classic region for demonstrating millions of years of human prehistory in China, knowledge that complements biological and cultural developments in the Old World.

Key words: Twenty-first Century, Archaeological discovery, Human occupation, Pleistocene, Nihewan Basin