2010/01/01 by Yachang Yang, Yizhi Zhu · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies #Paleopathology and ancient diseases #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology #Mongoloid #Prehistory #China #Skull #Archaeology #Skeleton (computer programming) #Radiocarbon dating #Excavation #Geography #Geology #Paleontology #Anatomy #Demography #Biology #Population
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s0033822200045033
openalex publication_date 2010/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
A human skeleton of phenomenal size was uncovered during the excavation of a prehistoric site located in the city of Shangnan, Shaanxi province, China, in 2006. The skeleton dates to 4240–4100 cal yr BP, corresponding to the Longshan culture (4400–4000 yr ago). The skeletal characteristics point to a young male 16–18 yr old with a height of 193 cm. This is the tallest skeleton ever discovered in prehistoric China, and thus we name him the “Longshan Giant.” The giant appears to be of the Mongoloid race and has many physical characteristics that are similar to those of modern southern Asians. Upon closer examination, 3 drilled holes of 5 cm in diameter were found in the right parietal bone of the skull. No rationale exists yet to explain the presence of these holes.