Peking Man site in Zhoukoudian, also known as the ‘Home of Ape-man’ caused a revolutionary change in the beliefs of the beginnings of man. Fossils found at the site in 1921 by Swedish archaeologist, J.G Anderson were the first humanoid fossils to be uncovered in China and even in Asia. The belief that human life evolved from Africa that arose from the findings of Java man and Taung child were questioned by the Peking man and the experts of the world were divided into two groups. A Homo erectus pekinensis, Peking man was the missing link between modern man and the ape.
There are three archaeological sites uncovered; Peking Man Site, the Upper Cave Man Site and the New Cave Man Site. While J.G Anderson uncovered teeth in the cave, in 1926 Chinese archaeologist Pei Wen Chung and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin found a whole skull. These were found to belong to man from the Middle Pleistocene epoch around 700,000- 200,000 years before modern day. Further excavations found incomplete human bones which were shown to belong to 40 different individuals through anthropological study. Close to 100,000 objects of rough chipped stone tools, heat-affected stones, traces of domestic hearths, burnt bones, fossilized grains and even ash deposits uncovered led to believe that fire was used at the time which hereto had no inclination to believe. Due to the Sino-Japanese conflict in 1937 almost all of the remains of Sinanthropus pekinensis found were lost, but a full jaw found in 1959 after the war compensated for these losses.
The Upper Cave Man site not far from Peking Man Site uncovered three complete skullcaps and animal teeth, bone needles and remains of necklaces that proved the usage of animal furs for clothing some 18,000 years ago. These Homo sapiens sapiens dating back to around 18,000-11,000 BC had similar physical characteristic to modern man. Found in 1973, the New Cave Man Site, also within close proximity to Peking Man Site uncovered fossils of man and many animal fossils from about 100,000 years ago. Most business travellers who visit only for a very short stay wish to stay at a Beijing airport hotel for its convenience. Hotel Rooms in Beijing is not hard to find, but Langham Place, Beijing Capital Airport will ensure your short stay will be most comfortable and enjoyable.