China Finds Million-Year-Old Skull, Third Ancient Human Fossil

VIVA English Site – Research programs carried out to trace the origins of Chinese civilization have progressed. National Cultural Heritage Administration of China announced this on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, through a press conference as reported by the Global Times.

China introduces new archaeological discoveries such as a million-year-old human skull fossil, ancient wharf ruins, as well as archaeological technological breakthroughs.

The program has the purpose to trace the origins of Chinese civilization and aims to include more than 20 archaeological excavation projects, including efforts at core ruin sites such as the Erlitou and Sanxingdui breakthrough sites.

Chinese archaeologists say the latest discoveries help deepen understanding of the development of unity in the diversity of Chinese civilization.

The fossil is the third ancient human skull that can be traced back to about a million years ago making it the third Yunxian Man.

Recently, Homo erectus human fossils were also found in Shiyan, Hubei Province, Central China.

Gao Xing, a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Paleoanthropology, conveyed that the skull had not been completely excavated from the ground, but that some parts, including the forehead bone and eye socket, showed no obvious damage, making archaeologists feel surprised.

The fossil is the most intact Homo erectus skull found in Eurasia. The third skull was found just 35 meters from the two previous skull fossils and the mud covering the skull is also of research value. Yunxian Man is thought to have lived about a million years ago, a key point in the evolution of Homo erectus.