The Relationship Between Environment And Industry Of Peking Man

In this dissertation the environment of Peking Man and its relationship with his industry are discussed on the basis of the former scholars'studies. It includes four parts: I. The review of the studies on Peking Man's environment In the research history of Peking Man's environment three stages existed as follows: First was the whole summarizing stage from 1930s to 1960s. In this stage the scholars regarded the group of plants and animals as a whole, on which they speculated Peking Man's the environment. It seemed that Peking Man's living condition had been depicted, but the changes of the environment were neglected. Second was the stage of grading study from 1960s to 1980s. In this stage the scholars analyzed the deposits of different layers or stages, and while confirming the diversity of the environment they found its changes. Third was the stage of integration from 1980s to now. In this stage the scholars paid attention to the changes of Peking Man's environment by synthesizing the proofs from many subjects. But in these studies the sediments were so emphasized that the proofs of plants and animals became secondary. II. The environment of Peking Man First the characters of sporopollen, mammal fossils and sediments are analyzed, and then according to the appearances of different sporopollen and mammal fossils, their proportions as well as chemical and physical analyses of the sediments, the environment is identified. But the environment of layer 7 reflected by the sporopollen and mammal fossils is different from that reflected by the sediments. The deposits of layer 7 are proved being formed by the slide of the hillside. It is referred that the discarded seepy cave once had probably become the habitat of the water-loved animals. So the analyses of the mammal fossils can reflect only the environment of the seepy cave, but not the environment of that time. Therefore the environment is confirmed as the cold and dry shrub steppe by the proof of sporopollen and sediments. Now the changes of the environment reflected by sporopollen, mammal fossils and sediments are unified and listed as follows: Layers 11-10 the climate was drier and the steppe expanded Layers 9-8 the climate was warm and humid and forest expanded Layer 7 the climate was dry and the shrub steppe was dominant Layer 6 the climate was warm and humid and forest was dominant Layer 5 the climate was warm and humid and forest was dominant Layer 4 the climate was dry and cold, the forest shrinked and the steppe expanded Layers 3-1 the steppe expanded but the climate changed from cold and dry to warm and humid frequently III. The changes of Peking Man's industry The proportion of the chopper experienced a process from smaller to biggest and sharply back to smallest. The confines of types of the tools were getting more and more clear and the small tools became more and more delicate. Peking Man's ability of selecting stone material improved continuously and the proportion of the good materials increased. IV. The relationship of the environment of Peking Man and his industry According to the analysis the scraper and the chopper separately relates to hunting and gathering. The ebb and flow of the proportion of them can show the ebb and flow of the share of hunting and gathering. In the early stage Peking Man was greatly influenced by the environment. They highly depended on gathering but limited by the environment sometimes they had to live on hunting, and once it permitted, they'd quickly be back to gathering, such as in layers 9-8. But in Layer 7 when Peking Man was forced to leave the cave, in order to live in the cold and dry shrub steppe the ability of resisting the beasts and hunting for living must be enhanced. So in this stage Peking Man had exercised to a real hunter. This was why he still lived on hunting even when the cave was regained and the climate became warm and humid again. And it is the reason why the ratio of choppers to scrapers was low when it became warm and humid in layer 6. In layers 4-1 the lowest ratio of choppers to scrapers was not merely leaded by the environment, but by the changes of Peking Man's living habits and the industrial tradition. The change of the assemblage of tools has close relationship with the...