Forbidden Archeology_ The Full Unabridged Edition - Michael A. Cremo [410]
Replying to the challenges to his proposed date of 1.7 million years, Jia Lanpo wrote: “Today, although the Lower Pleistocene age of the Yuanmou deposits has been called into question (Liu and Ding 1983), the associated fauna still reflects a Lower Pleistocene antiquity” (Jia 1985, p. 140). Reacting specifically to the more recent paleomagnetic date suggested by Liu and Ding, Jia (1985, p. 141) said: “Because of the apparent contradiction between these data and the extremely archaic mammalian fossil assemblage associated with the Yuanmou incisors, and due to the primitive morphological features of the teeth themselves, I do not share the opinions of Liu and Ding in this matter.” So it appears there may exist at Yuanmou tools and signs of fire dating back to 1.7 million years ago.
9.2.11 Stone Tools at Xihoudu (Early Early Pleistocene)
In 1960, Jia Lanpo investigated Early Pleistocene sand and gravel deposits at Xihoudu in northern Shanxi province. He found 3 stones with signs of percussion, and more artifacts turned up in 1961 and 1962. Jia (1980, pp. 10–11) said: “In processing the stone artefacts collected at Xihoudu, we took extra care against the possibility of misjudgement by carefully analysing the scars on the stones to see if they were caused by natural, physical, or biological factors. But none could explain them. Later, we asked the late well-known geologist Li Siguang (also known as J. S. Lee) to examine the specimens from the angle of geomechanics to see if they could have been caused by natural agencies. His answer was: ‘Unlikely. Shaped by man would be more appropriate.’” Because of Early Pleistocene faunal remains, the site was dated over a million years old. According to Jia (1985, p. 139), “Preliminary palaeomagnetic data indicate an absolute age for the Xihoudu site of about 1.8 million years b.p.”
Among the dozens of stone tools were cores, flakes, choppers, scrapers, and heavy triangular points. Jia (1980, p. 11) wrote: “The choppers are single or double faced, and bear marks resulting from use. . . . a fragmented deer skull with both antler stumps attached was unearthed here, and on one stump transverse cuts could be observed. The cuts were most likely made by a sharp tool instead of being caused by erosion or other natural forces. Another antler bears marks of being scraped. These mark-bearing antlers lead us to believe . . . that over a million years ago, hominids at Xihoudu were using antler and bone tools.”
Jia also found what appeared to be charred bones. This was established by visual comparison with burned bones from Zhoukoudian and by laboratory testing. But Jia (1980, p. 12) admitted: “Who the creators of the Xihoudu culture were has not yet been identified, for no human fossils have been found, not even so much as a tooth. From the antiquity of the site we may infer that the genus probably belongs to the Australopithecinae.”
Aigner (1981, pp. 183–184), as one might well imagine, disagreed: “Despite the strong support for Lower Pleistocene human activity in north China claimed for Hsihoutu [Xihoudu], I am reluctant to accept unequivocally the materials at this time. . . . if Hsihoutu is verified, then humans occupied the north of China some 1,000,000 years ago and utilized fire. This would call into question some of our current assumptions about both the course of human evolution and the adaptational capabilities of early hominids.”
If one could, however, become detached from current assumptions, interesting possibilities open up. Considering all the evidence gathered around the world over the past century or so, and not just the carefully selected evidence used to support present evolutionary views of human origins, one may infer something different than did Jia regarding Xihoudu. It is possible that some other hominid, perhaps Homo sapiens, might have been responsible for the cultural remains at Xihoudu. In fact, Homo sapiens is a more likely explanation for the presence of stone tools, bone tools, and fire than an australopithecine.
9.2.12 Concluding Words