Late Pleistocene human skull from Jingchuan, Gansu Province

Jingchuan human fossil, found in Gansu Province in 1976, was given a preliminary report in 1984, but questions remained con- cerning the age and character of the fossil. We conducted field investigation at Jingchuan in May of 2006 to examine the stratum yielding the human fossil and to obtain sediment samples for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Three samples collected from different stratigraphic levels at the fossil locality yielded OSL dates of 15, 48 and 7.9 thousand years ago (ka), respectively. Taking stratum study, mammalian fossils and paleoliths into consideration, the OLS date of 15-48 ka appears to be more close to the true age of Jingchuan cranium. There is no distinct difference between the fossil cranium and modern craniums in terms of the traits analyzed, so the relatively modern traits of the Jingchuan cranium do not contradict with its age. Principal components analysis shows that the Jingchuan cranium may be somewhat primitive.

Jingchuan human fossil, found in Gansu Province in 1976, was given a preliminary report in 1984, but questions remained concerning the age and character of the fossil. We conducted field investigation at Jingchuan in May of 2006 to examine the stratum yielding the human fossil and to obtain sediment samples for optically stimulated luminescence （OSL） dating. Three samples collected from different stratigraphic levels at the fossil locality yieIded OSL dates of 15, 48 and 7.9 thousand years ago （ka）, respectively. Taking stratum study, mammalian fossils and paleoliths into consideration, the OLS date of 15-48 ka appears to be more close to the true age of Jingchuan cranium. There is no distinct difference between the fossil cranium and modem craniums in terms of the traits analyzed, so the relatively modern traits of the Jingchuan cranium do not contradict with its age. Principal components analysis shows that the Jingchuan cranium may be somewhat primitive.