Formation and stratigraphy of the Chuanfan Cave
LI Jianjun, FAN Xuechun
2006, 25(02):
153-160.
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The Chuanfan Cave is one of two Paleolithic cave sites on the Wanshouyan Hill, a limestone hill with several caves and fissures situated about 17 km northwest of Sanming City, Fujian Province. Two Paleolithic cultural levels were recovered from the cave in 1999—2000. One of the significant archaeological discoveries at the site was an artificial pebble2paved living surface from the lower cultural level. This paper presents preliminary results of studies on the formation processes of the site and it stratigraphy based on information derived during the second excavation in 2004.
The formation processes of the Chuanfan Cave follow four stages. 11The cave functioned as a passage for drainage during the late Middle Pleistocene and deposits began to accumulate (Layers 26—22, see Table 1) . 21The accumulated deposits suffered serious breakage and new sediments rich in mammalian fossils formed new layers (Layers 21—17). 31A flood brought new materials to the cave , which became Layers 16—7. 41Ravines developed in the deposits as the result of water movement and later filled with sediments (Layers 6—1) .
Geological strata can be divided into four parts (from bottom to top) . Unit Ⅰ, late Middle Pleistocene deposits, gravel and sandy clay, with several kinds of fossil including Vespertolionidae, Petaurista sp., Niviventer sp., and Rhizomys sp.Unit Ⅱ, of early Late Pleistocene age, red-yellow clay and grayish green sandy clay, rich in mammalian fossils, such as Macaca robustus, Canis lupus, Coun dubius, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, Ursus thibetanus, Meles suillus, Crocuta ultima, Crocuta spelaeus, Acinonyx sp. , Stegodon orientalis, Rhinoceros sinensis, Megatapirus augustus, Sus scrofa. Unit Ⅲ, late Late Pleistocene deposits , greenish gray clay with two cultural layers identified. AMS dating indicates that Layer 15 and Layer 8 were formed 37 ka BP and 29 ka BP, respectively. Unit Ⅳ, of Holocene age, with mixed deposits and yielding Song to Qing Dynasties cultural remains.
