The Site of Paleolithic Period of Xianrendong in Xichou County, Wenshan
Chinese Name:西畴县仙人洞旧石器时代遗址
English Name: The Site of Paleolithic Period of Xianrendong in Xichou County, Wenshan
Location:
The Xianrendong Paleolithic site is located near Xiaoxinzhai Village in Xisa Town, Xichou County, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, approximately 1 kilometer from the county seat.
Geography:
Xianrendong is a karst cave formed by ancient river channels along limestone fissures, nestled in a scenic, tranquil setting by the mountains and water. The cave entrance is small, slightly taller than a person, about 1.5 meters wide, with a total cave length of 40 meters, a width of 6 meters, and a height of 3 meters. The flat cave roof and spacious interior could accommodate hundreds of people, making it a suitable dwelling for ancient humans. Although there is a local legend that immortals once inhabited the cave, what is certain is that the ancestors of the Xichou people, around 10,000 years ago, indeed lived here.
Archaeological Significance:
The Xianrendong site is a significant Paleolithic cave site from the late Old Stone Age. Between 1972 and 1973, two excavations were carried out by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Yunnan Provincial Museum. These excavations uncovered five human teeth fossils and 32 species of ancient vertebrate fossils, including six extinct species. The human teeth fossils were identified as belonging to late Homo sapiens and were named “Xichou Man” (西畴人).
Xichou Man:
The remains of Xichou Man, discovered at the site, provide crucial insights into the lives of early humans in this region during the late Paleolithic period. These findings contribute significantly to the understanding of human evolution and the prehistoric environment in southern China. The fossils indicate that Xichou Man was part of the late Homo sapiens population that inhabited the area approximately 10,000 years ago.
The Xianrendong site stands as a testament to the ancient human history of Xichou County, offering a glimpse into the life and environment of early humans in Yunnan during the late Paleolithic era.
