Peking Man Site Museum at Zhōukǒudiàn 周口店北京人遗址博物馆
房山区周口店. 京石高速,京周路 S317 往西
Part of A Better Guide to Běijīng’s coverage of Běijīng Suburbs and Beyond
Homo erectus pekinensis took shelter in the caves here more than half a million years ago and occupied them intermittently until about 230,000 years ago. Large numbers of human and animal fossils and artefacts have been found, with evidence of the use of fire, ‘evidence for the theory of evolution’, and evidence ‘demonstrating the theory of labour-creating mankind’ say the signs, along with more than 20 other Palaeolithic sites in the vicinity.
These limestone caves gradually filled up with layers of sand, shale, and mud after Peking Man left. Swedish and Austrian archaeologists discovered two teeth of an early hominid species in 1921. Serious excavation began in 1927, leading to the discovery of two jawbones in 1928 and of a half-million-year-old skull the following year, and yet later of five more. There’s little to see now, and unless you are an archaeologist the site is remarkably dull, despite being another UNESCO World Heritage site. There has been some fairly robust criticism of China’s mismanagement of the site.
On the left as you enter there are two exhibitions in small halls, the first a small display of dinosaur bits and pieces, the second of two late-Míng/early-Qīng corpses. These are preserved (if that turns out to be the right word) in the most low-tech way imaginable, using sticky tape to seal up the glass case in which they are contained. The male is said to have been 70 at death and the female 20, supposedly killed to be buried with him and keep him company. Her vilely distorted tapering feet are evidence that they were bound from an early age.
Quite startling are the remains of her eyes and the way her tongue protrudes, as if she had been strangled.
The main cave is straight ahead and signposted to the left, while further straight on there’s a museum building that has a recreation of a cave dwelling, photographs of the excavation team, a display of their tools, maps of the site, English chronology, various fossils, and a model of the skull of Peking Man to compare with an assortment of other ape and humanoid skeletons. What the museum doesn’t have is any of the original crania, which in 1941 were sent to the USA to keep them out of the hands of invading Japanese forces, and disappeared mysteriously on the way.
The Chinese government has been happy to seize upon the discoveries as further evidence of the long presence of Chinese civilisation in the area, its general longevity, and implied superiority to other cultures. In an expensive and meaningless ceremony, as 1999 turned into 2000 by a foreign calendar adopted by the Chinese only ,after 1949, a torch bearer ran from Zhōukǒudiàn to light a flame at the ‘China Century Altar’.
▶ Zhōukǒudiàn Běijīngrén Yízhǐ Bówùguǎn, 48km SW of Běijīng, 18km W along the S317 off the Jǐngshí Freeway (京石高速), t 6930 1278, www.zkd.cn, 8.30am–4.30pm, 1 Apr — 31 Oct; otherwise 8.30am–4pm. ¥30. m Liáng Xiāng University Town West (Fáng Shān Line) then b 房38 to 猿人遗址.
Next in Běijīng Suburbs and Beyond: Běijīng’s Artist Colonies
Previously: Museum of the Western Hàn Tombs at Dàbǎotái
Main Index of A Better Guide to Beijing.
For discussion of China travel, see The Oriental-List.
