Relics of Peking Man to go on show in South Korea

Relics of Peking Man, one of the first specimens of Homo erectus, will be displayed at a local museum in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, 162 km south of Seoul, for a year from April 2 to March 30 in 2013. 

The reconstructed Zhoukoudian skull [Credit: Science China Press]

The Seokjangni Museum announced Friday it will hold a special exhibition featuring a total of 75 articles excavated from Zhoukoudian, a cave system in Beijing, China. Zhoukoudian has yielded many archaeological discoveries, including Peking Man, and a fine assemblage of bones of the gigantic hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris. Peking Man lived in the cave approximately 750,000 to 200,000 years ago and is believed to have used fire for first time in history. 

The articles to be on display will include an image of Peking Man and a replica of the hyena plus some 60 genuine items preserved at the Zhoukoudian Anthropological Museum. 

The Peking Man Site was discovered by Johan Gunnar Andersson in 1921 and first excavated by Otto Zdansky in 1921 and 1923, unearthing two human teeth. These were later identified by Davidson Black as belonging to a previously unknown species and extensive excavations followed. 

Archaeologist Dr. Cho Tae-sup said the relics of Zhoukoudian are called a treasure chest of archaeology because critical evidence of the gradual evolution of humankind is perfectly preserved in the relics. 

The special exhibition is part of cultural projects commemorating the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China.  

Source: The Korea Times [March 02, 2012]