Taphonomy at a Distance: Zhoukoudian, "The Cave Home of Beijing Man"? [and Comments and Reply]

1985/08/01 by Lewis R. Binford, Chuan Kun Ho, Jean S. Aigner +14 · 11 citations
Social Sciences · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Arts and Humanities · #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies #Cave #Taphonomy #Pleistocene #Cannibalism #Beijing #Neanderthal #Archaeology #Paleontology #Geology #History #China #Predation

paper · doi:10.1086/203303

openalex publication_date 1985/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11

Abstract

Zhoukoudian is often cited as yielding some of the earliest evidence for the use of fire and as documenting "man the hunter" living in caves during the Middle Pleistocene. In addition, it is commonly believed that this important Chinese site documents cannibalism on the part of Middle Pleistocene hominids. We examine the data from Zhoukoudian with several questions in mind: (1) What are the agents responsible for the bone accumulations inside the cave? (2) What materials within the cave reflect early hominid behavior? (3) What was the nature of that behavior? Our conclusions are at variance with traditional interpretations.

Citations

• Burnt bones and teeth: an experimental study of color, morphology, crystal structure and shrinkage
• The Food-sharing Behavior of Protohuman Hominids

Cited by

• Evidence for the Use of Fire at Zhoukoudian, China
• Site formation processes at Zhoukoudian, China
• Mapping and taphonomic analysis of the Homo erectus loci at Locality 1 Zhoukoudian, China
• Zhoukoudian: A Closer Look [and Comments and Reply]
• Evidence of Hominin Use and Maintenance of Fire at Zhoukoudian
• Eightieth year of Peking Man: Current status of Peking Man and the Zhoukoudian site
• Zhoukoudian: Geography and Culture
• Morphology and structure of Homo erectus humeri from Zhoukoudian, Locality 1
• On the possible use of fire by Homo erectus at Zhoukoudian, China
• Celtis remains from the Lower Pleistocene of Gran Dolina, Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain)
• Peking Man [wikipedia]