Paleolithic Culture of the Three Gorges to Be Unveiled: Yumidong Site

The Three Gorges constitute an open-air natural and history museum. Its environment, which comprises forests, rivers, and bushes, has long been considered by scholars as an important source for studying the origin, evolution, and cultural development of ancient humans. The Three Gorges Reservoir Region is home to most of the ancient civilization ruins of the Yangtze River basin. The abundant hominid sites and hominid culture remains discovered in this area can form a general human evolution framework that spans two million years of human history, a fine testament to its role as one of the important evolution centers for East Asian humans from the early stage to the later stage. This resource superiority makes it stand out from other provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions nationwide.

Clues from ordinary people for archeological investigations

Many major archeological discoveries depended on ordinary people, and Yumidong Site was no exception. The discovery of the site can be traced back to the end of 2005, when a China-France joint archeological team was conducting archeological excavations at Longgupo Site, Miaoyu Town, Wushan County, Chongqing. A rural excavation worker named Long Daiqing heard that a human skull was found during quarrying in Yumi Village (today's Xiaoying Village). Then he immediately told the team, which decided to head to Yumi Village to check it out.

In the limestone cave where the human skull was said to be found, the team discovered some animal teeth and limb bone fossils but failed to find any human fossils. The discovery of the human skull convinced Long Daiqing and Huang Wanbo that this place boasted mammal fossils, and they named it Yumidong after Yumi Village. However, the excavation at the Yumidong fossil site was halted due to multiple factors. In 2008, the Administration of Cultural Relics of Wushan County re-investigated Yumidong during the third National Census of Immovable Cultural Relics. The animal fossils were found mainly in the bigger one, the two sinkholes. As a result, this place was recorded as a fossil site.

Archeological topics upon the establishment of Chongqing Institute of Paleoanthropology

In 2011, the newly established Institute of Paleoanthropology of Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum focused on searching for human and animal fossils. Yumidong was valued once again thanks to the human skull abundant animal fossils discovered in it. When the excavation ended, an important clue was provided by rural excavation workers during a conversation that Yumidong had other entrances and caverns. The news surprised the team members, and they immediately investigated the real entrances to and caverns of Yumidong.

Despite the traces of the early residence of the cavern owner, there was no serious strata disturbance. The intact appearance and original cave deposits made the team realize that the place was appropriate for the breeding of ancient humans. It was very likely that there were hominid culture remains in the layers of the strata.

From April to May 2012, the staff from the Institute of Paleoanthropology came to Yumidong again for excavation. A few animal fossils were unearthed in the stratigraphic positions, and almost 100 artificial stone artifacts were found. All this indicated that there were ancient human settlements and activities here. The stratigraphic accumulation at the front end of the cavern was quite different from that of the sinkholes and that of the back end of the cavern. Since the scope of the Yumidong fossil site was expanded, and the connotation of Yumidong was enriched and needed to be re-evaluated, the "Yumidong fossil site" was renamed as Yumidong Site. In the meantime, the archeological team applied to the Chongqing Bureau of Cultural Relics and the National Cultural Heritage Administration to launch initiative archeological excavation projects to solve academic issues.

Paleolithic culture from the 18th stratum

From October to November 2012, the Institute of Paleoanthropology conducted the first trial excavation at the Yumidong Site, where 212 numbered stone artifacts, and animal fossils, and a large number of small mammal fossils and broken bones were excavated. Besides, human traces were found on the surface of some fossilized animal bones. They intentionally collected a series of samples during the trial excavation, which could help with the dating. These samples were then sent to be examined. In the excavation, the nature of the site was further clarified, a basic understanding of the cause of stratigraphic accumulation was acquired, and cultural remains with detailed information were unearthed, implying rich research significance.

From April to December 2013, the Institute of Paleoanthropology mobilized a stronger force to focus on the formal archeological excavation. As a result, 2,837 numbered stone artifacts, 1,518 numbered mammal fossils, more than 100 artifacts made of bone, horn, and teeth, two sites proving humans' use of fire, and a great quantity of unnumbered broken bones were excavated. This excavation was the first formal archeological excavation at Yumidong Site. Building on the trial excavation, it revealed the site in a more detailed way, laying a foundation for the long-term excavation in the future.

Paleolithic culture site of the Three Gorges to be unveiled

Yumidong Site is another major finding of the Paleolithic culture of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. Growing from an unknown fossil site to a renowned national protected site, it has gone through lots of ups and downs. In the special environmental resources context of the Three Gorges Region, Yumidong's stratigraphic sequence and rich prehistoric culture remains are valuable research materials to study the continuous survival, evolution, and acculturation of native East Asian ancient humans. The discovery of the Yumidong Site enriches the materials about Paleolithic sites in China and contributes to discussions on paleoanthropology about population evolution and technological advancement in a broader sense. But the only pity is that the owner of the Yumidong culture has not been discovered.

We look forward to starting the next stage of the excavation at Yumidong so as to refresh it.