大荔人化石地点第二次发掘简报

对大荔人化石地点进行再次的发掘,不仅发现了新的文化层,而且在含大荔人化石层中找到了384件石器和一些哺乳动物化石,为探讨“大荔人”文化的性质及其时代提供了有意义的资料。

A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THE SECOND EXCAVATION OF DALI MAN LOCALITY

In autumn 1980, we organized the second systematic excavation of the Dali Man locality, It was in September and October that the excavation was undertaken, as a result of which 384 artifacts and some mammalian fossils were found from layer 3 of the Dali man locality. Besides, we have newly found two layers bearing some artifacts and a few mammalian fossils (i.e. layers 4 and 5 of the same locality). A preliminary study of the new materials is made in this note. 13 artifacts and some mammalian fossils such as Sinomegaceros cf. pachyosteus and Equus hemionus etc. were uncountered from layer. 5. 2 cores, 2 flakes and some fossils such as Lamprotula sp. and Cervus canadensis (left antler) were discovered from layer 4. In view of mammalian fossils associated with the artifacts from layer 3 of the Dali Man locality, there are both Sinomegaceros cf. pachyosteus, Equus cf. sanmeniensis of the zhoukoudian period and Gazella przewalskyi and Equus sp. similar to E. hemionus and E. caballus, reported from younger deposits (Loess). Therefore, we suggest that the layer 3 of the Dali Man locality is distinctly younger than Sinanthropus site in age, and approximately contemporary to Loc. 15 in Zhoukoudian (Choukoutien) region or slightly later. All artifacts found from layer 3 are very small, most of them are less than 40 mm. in length. They are divided into cores, flakes, scrapers, points, gravers and awls, but no choppers have been gathered in our collection. The cores and the flakes were mostly made by hammer direct method, but a few pieces of them were produced by bipolar way in this assemblage. Most of the tools were retouched on one surface, some of them were chipped on two surfaces. Generally speaking, the artifacts show more rudely. In broad outline, this industry is more close to the Sinanthropus industry. A detailed study of the artifacts found from this locality is now under way.