Los descubrimientos fueron anunciados luego que arqueólogos concluyeran un estudio de excavación de tres años de duración en el sitio fósil de Zhoukoudian, en el suburbio occidental de Beijing.
Gao Xing, investigador del Instituto de Paleontología Vertebrada y Paleoantropología de la Academia de Ciencias de China, explicó que en ese sitio se descubrieron un área de fuego, suelo de metal en polvo, además de rocas y huesos quemados.
Detalló que algunos de los huesos de animales hallados estaban completamente carbonizados, negros por dentro y por fuera, lo que asegura a los especialistas que eso es resultado de combustión.
Los restos fósiles del "Hombre de Peking" fueron descubiertos en la década de 1920, e incluyen un cráneo completo que le dio fama a Zhoukoudian como uno de los primeros sitios poblados por seres humanos.
El descubrimiento de cenizas, huesos quemados y piedras así como semillas calcinadas en 1929, hicieron pensar a muchos científicos que el "Hombre de Peking" conocía el uso del fuego.
No obstante, había escepticismo sobre el origen del fuego. En esta ocasión la evidencia es más convincente, enfatizó Gao. prensa-latina.cu
China finds new evidence for use of fire by 'Peking Man'- China.org.cn
New evidence has been found in an
archeological site in Beijing suggesting that the ancestor of modern man
was able to use fire more than 600,000 years ago.
The findings were announced Friday,
after archeologists spent three years excavating the Zhoukoudian fossil
site in the western suburbs of Beijing.
According to Gao Xing, research fellow
with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of
the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a fire site, sintering soil, and burned
rocks and bones were uncovered at the site.
"Some of the animal bones were entirely
carbonized, turned black both outside and inside," Gao said. "It is safe
for us to conclude that this is the result of burning."
They also found fire sites encircled by rocks and lime resulting from the burning of limestone, Gao added.
Fossils of Peking Man were discovered in
the 1920s, including an entire cranium that earned Zhoukoudian fame as
one of the birth places of humans.
Ashes, burned bones and rocks, as well
as charred seeds were also found in 1929, according to Gao, leading many
archeologists to agree that Peking Man knew how to use fire.
However, there has always been skepticism that they resulted from natural fire.
"The evidence this time is more convincing," Gao said. "It has been found under the earth untouched, without weather damage."
"This shows us that Peking Man could not only keep kindling, but knew how to control fire," he said.Related post
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