历史探究:“侯家窑人”与“许家窑人”名称之争——浅谈“许家窑人”名称的合法性问题

Historical research:the hominin naming debate between the Houjiayao Village and the Xujiayao Village--A brief discussion on the legitimacy of the name of the“Xujiayao hominins”

笔者等简要回顾了“许家窑—侯家窑遗址”和所谓“许家窑人”的研究历史及其名称的沿革过程,并对“许家窑人”名称的合法性提出质疑。从考古学角度来看,前人将考古遗址名称确定为“许家窑—侯家窑遗址”是可以理解的。因为,山西省阳高县许家窑村与河北省阳原县侯家窑村相邻,相距不远;同时该名称是经国务院1976颁布确定,并受国家法律法规保护的。但从古人类学角度来看,将侯家窑村(74093地点)发现的古人类命名为“许家窑人”是不合情理的,也是不合法的。因为,传统上古人类的名称都是以化石发现地来命名的(俗名),正确的做法应该将侯家窑村发现的人类化石冠以生物学名称(学名),如直立人、智人、龙人等。实际上,山西许家窑村(73113地点)根本就没有发现过任何人类化石。根据一些学者在文中提供的化石描述、测量数据及化石图片,笔者等倾向于认为,河北侯家窑村发现的人类化石可能属于“龙人”的一个亲缘种(Homo aff.longi),在更新世古人类研究中具有十分重要的科学价值。

This paper briefly reviews the research history of the“Xujiayao-Houjiayao”archaeological site and the change course of its name,and challenges the name legitimacy of the so-called“Xujiayao hominins”.From the archaeological point of view,it is understandable that the archaeological site was finally named as the Xujiayao-Houjiayao site,because the Xujiayao village in Yanggao County of Shanxi Province is not far from the Houjiayao village in Yangyuan County of Hebei Province,and the name of the archaeological site was established by the State Council of China in 1976 and has been protected by state laws and regulations.From the paleoanthropological point of view,however,it is neither reasonable nor legal to name the hominin fossils from the Houjiayao village(the 74093 site),in Yangyuan County of Hebei Province as the“Xujiayao hominins”,because the Xujiayao village belongs to Yanggao County of Shanxi Province.In fact,no hominin fossils had been unearthed from the Xujiayao village(the 73113 site)in Yanggao County of Shanxi Province.Traditionally,the names of ancient humans have been named after the places where the fossils were found(common name).The correct way is to give the huminin fossils found from the Houjiayao village a formally biological name(scientific name),such as Homo erectus,Homo sapiens,Homo longi,etc.Based on the fossil descriptions,measured data and fossil photographs provided by some scholars,the authors suggest that the human fossils found from Houjiayao village in Yangyuan County of Zhangjiakou City,Hebei Province might belong to a species related closely to Homo longi(Homo aff.longi).The hominin fossils from the Houjiayao village are of great scientific value in the study of Pleistocene hominins.