Evidence for Use of Fire Found at Peking Man Site

CRIENGLISH.com ^ | Aug 11, 2009 | Unknown

[decimon]

Archaeologists have discovered several vertebrate fossils, ashes, burned bones and charcoal remnants at the Zhoukoudian caves, also known as the "Peking Man" site, China News Service reported on Monday.

The discovery proves that Peking man was able to use fire roughly 200-000 to 500,000 years ago, the article said. Many foreign experts once cast doubt on whether Peking Man could use fire at that time, because in past decades they found no direct evidence for its use. The recent archaeological discoveries directly refute their doubts, the article said.

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

Of course they did. How would Peking Man have cooked duck without fire?

If they look more carefully, they might also find leftover pancakes, scallions and hoisin sauce.

[SMARTY]

“...200-000 to 500,000 years ago...”

Is that kind of gigantic window typical in archeology? I thought they could be much more precise than that.

[bgill]

Makes my day when the experts are proven wrong once again.

[N. Theknow]

Peking Man is now Zippo Marxist?

[TomOnTheRun]

I wish they said if the burnt bones were human or animal. Or both. That would be really interesting.

[GonzoGOP]

500,000 years ago man invented fire. At about 2:30 that afternoon man invented the barbecue. Later his wife invented complaining about Peking man's lazy friends who never go back to their own caves. The rest is history.

[kidd]

[Dilbert San Diego]

Remember years ago, when they changed the city of Peking to Beijing? This was supposed to more accurately reflect how the name of the city is pronounced in Mandarin.

But, at that time, why didn’t the name of Peking Duck become Beijing Duck? And why didn’t Peking Man become Beijing Man?

[Tainan]

Fire is really really old.

[SunkenCiv]

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	Gods Graves Glyphs	Thanks Tainan. Turns out Peking Man actually went extinct because he was smokin' in bed. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
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[BGHater]

I thought you were on a staycation or taking time off from being monitored by DHS.

[gleeaikin]

And if the bones were human it would be interesting to know if they reprsented cremation or dinner.

[TomOnTheRun]

And if the bones were human it would be interesting to know if they reprsented cremation or dinner.

Or both. Insight into some of the earliest religious rituals man celebrated might be chilling but it would be interesting.

[SunkenCiv]

The Neandertal Enigma
by James Shreeve
in local libraries

Frayer's own reading of the record reveals a number of overlooked traits that clearly and specifically link the Neandertals to the Cro-Magnons. One such trait is the shape of the opening of the nerve canal in the lower jaw, a spot where dentists often give a pain-blocking injection. In many Neandertal, the upper portion of the opening is covered by a broad bony ridge, a curious feature also carried by a significant number of Cro-Magnons. But none of the alleged 'ancestors of us all' fossils from Africa have it, and it is extremely rare in modern people outside Europe." [pp 126-127]

[SunkenCiv]

Well, I knew I’d have no time. I tried to be online a couple nights ago, literally fell asleep at the keyboard, decided to bag it and crash. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

The problem with Chinese cannibalism is, in a half hour you’re hungry again.

[gleeaikin]

Not very anthropological, but we do have fun here!