New Light on the Earliest Hominid Occupation in East Asia

Paleohydro-climatic changes in the habitats of early humans are closely related to their evolution and occupation of specific niches. In the Nihewan Basin of North China, a large number of archaeological sites dating back to the early Pleistocene have been discovered which record the occupation history of human ancestors in the region. However, thus far, studies of the history of paleohydro-climatic changes in the Nihewan Basin and their influences on human occupation remain insufficient. Here, we report the results of a systematic investigation of variations in the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and magnetic susceptibility stratigraphy in the Heitugou (HTG) section to partially rectify this paucity of data and interpretations. The HTG section is located in the eastern Nihewan Basin where, in 2006, a Paleolithic site was discovered and excavated at the bottom of the sequence. By comparing detailed magnetic susceptibility sequences in the HTG section with those of the nearby Xiaochangliang and Dachangliang sections, we found that the sedimentation of the HTG section began about 1.9 Ma, indicating that the HTG archaeological site possibly records the earliest human occupation of middle-to-high latitude North China. Our studies of the AMS in the HTG section indicate that it is characterized by a primary sedimentary magnetic fabric without significant disturbance, demonstrating its potential for tracing regional paleo-hydrological changes. In most samples dating between 1.9 Ma and 0.4 Ma, the maximum susceptibility axes ( K max) cluster along the SE-NW vector, suggesting hydrodynamic changes tracable in the study area were mainly influenced by the Huliu River. In addition, a relatively weak K max direction biased towards the SW-NE axis was also observed, possibly generated by the predominant flow of the Sanggan River. These two rivers – the Huliu and Sanggan – determined the paleohydrological changes in the eastern Nihewan paleolake basin. Meanwhile, AMS studies also suggest multiple-phase hydrodynamic changes in the Nihewan Basin. Around 1.9 Ma, a thick layer of gravel was deposited in the study area due to the emergence of the Huliu River, or tectonic subsidence of the Nihewan Basin. Strengthened hydrodynamic changes and higher water-levels of the Nihewan paleolake may have driven early human ancestors to occupy higher topographic locations. Between 1.9–1.8 Ma, the paleolake expanded and the hydrodynamic regime weakened accordingly, which may correspond with the enhancement of the summer monsoon cycle in East Asia. Between 1.8–1.5 Ma, the sedimentary hydrodynamic regime strengthened noticeably early on, and subsequently weakened continuously. During the period from 1.5–1.3 Ma, as the East Asian summer monsoon regime intensified, warmer and wetter climatic conditions resulted in deepening of the Nihewan paleolake, which may have subsequently weakened influences from fluvial input and was associated with decreased sedimentary hydrodynamics. Between 1.3–0.9 Ma, high-frequency fluctuations in the AMS are noted, indicating a dramatic change in lacustrine hydrodynamics possibly attributable to the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT) event. After 0.9 Ma, the Nihewan paleolake deepened again. Relatively high-amplitude fluctuations during this period reflect a cyclicity of 100 ka, possibly indicating that it was controlled by global ice volume. In concordance with other Paleolithic sites in the Nihewan Basin that have been chronometrically investigated, our studies at Heitugou reveal that paleohydro-climatic changes had a significant influence on early hominin activities in the Nihewan Basin, which shaped the spatio-temporal distribution of Paleolithic sites there. For example, during the early Pleistocene, early humans lived mostly on lower lake terraces in the eastern Nihewan Basin, when the lake level was still quite low. Subsequently, they moved to topographically higher sites due to gradually increasing lake levels. During the Middle and Late Pleistocene, when the Nihewan paleolake shrank, early humans moved toward the upper reaches of the Sanggan River, and were widely distributed along river courses across the Nihewan Basin during the Late Pleistocene in order to maintain home ranges near permanent water sources.

Isochron 26Al/10Be burial dating of the Xiashagou Fauna in the Nihewan Basin, northern China: Implications for biogeography and early hominin dispersals

New material of the Early Pleistocene Elaphurus (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from North China and discussion on taxonomy of Elaphurus

ABSTRACTUnderstanding site formation processes is crucial for interpreting archaeological context patterns and hominin behaviour as these affect the preserved condition of a site and the integrity of archaeological remains. The fluvio‐lacustrine sequences in the Nihewan Basin of North China are rich sources of early Pleistocene archaeological sites, which offer an important opportunity to investigate human evolution and adapted behaviours in East Asia. Although many Palaeolithic sites have been reported from the Nihewan Basin, North China, few of them focus on site formation processes before interpreting the hominin behaviour patterns. Here, we present a site formation study of four archaeological layers (Layers 6D, 6C, 6B and 6A) in Trench 1 from the Donggutuo (namely DGT‐T1) site in the Nihewan Basin with an age of 1.1 Ma. Through the study of sedimentary contexts, spatial distributions of artefacts and fossils, intra‐assemblage category ratios, debitage size distributions, lithic abrasion, artifact orientation and planar dip, our results show that all the layers had been disturbed by low‐energy sheet wash across the lake shore setting, but to differing extents. The post‐depositional disturbance caused by water decreased from the lower to the upper layers, from Layer 6D to Layer 6A. This indicates that the archaeological remains in DGT‐T1 have not been subject to significant natural modifications and are thus suitable for studying early hominin behaviour in North China. Copyright © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Nihewan Basin in North China has a rich source of Early Pleistocene Paleolithic sites. Here, we report a high-resolution magnetostratigraphic dating of the Shangshazui Paleolithic site that was found in the northeastern Nihewan Basin in 1972. The artifact layer is suggested to be located in the Matuyama reversed polarity chron just above the upper boundary of the Olduvai polarity subchron, yielding an estimated age of ca 1.7–1.6 Ma. This provides new evidence for hominid occupation in North China in the earliest Pleistocene. The earliest hominids are argued to have lived in a habitat of open grasslands mixed with patches of forests close to the bank of the Nihewan paleolake as indicated from faunal compositions. Hominid migrations to East Asia during the Early Pleistocene are suggested to be a consequence of increasing cooling and aridity in Africa and Eurasia.

The East Asian monsoon variability in the Nihewan Basin, northern China, during the Early Pleistocene: A grain size end-member modelling analysis

The Nihewan Basin is infilled by a relatively complete Pliocene to Pleistocene sequence, rich mammalian fossils and containing many Palaeolithic artefacts, implying that it is a unique location for Quaternary multidisciplinary study. Fossil excavations in these deposits have been carried out for nearly a century. The systematic study of the fossils by Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau in 1930 laid the foundations for the classic Nihewan Faunal assemblage, which has been widely followed as a standard for the Early Pleistocene biochronology in eastern Asia. With the availability of magnetostratigraphic analyses on several sections in the Nihewan basin, a comprehensive geochronological study is timely pending. Here we report the results of a comprehensive survey of the Xiashagou section, where the classic Nihewan Fauna was discovered. By synthesising the lithostratigraphical, biostratigraphical, and magnetostratigraphical information, together with measurements taken by the authors, the total thickness of the Nihewan Formation in the Xiashagou section being 116 m. Furthermore, the geochronological study demonstrates that the classic Nihewan Fauna was originally recovered from at least 6 fossil horizons, spanning from ∼2.4 Ma to ∼1.8 Ma, i.e., the early Early Pleistocene. The new evidence from the Xiashagou section also suggests several cycles of fluctuations in the biodiversity and population of the classic Nihewan Fauna during the early Pleistocene. The preliminary correlation of these cycles matches the short periods of glaciation in the early Pleistocene.

Pleistocene magnetochronology of the fauna and Paleolithic sites in the Nihewan Basin: Significance for environmental and hominin evolution in North China

New material of Early Pleistocene Sus (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from Yangshuizhan in Nihewan Basin, North China

Luminescence-based chronologies for Palaeolithic sites in the Nihewan Basin, northern China: First tests using newly developed optical dating procedures for potassium feldspar grains

Magnetostratigraphic dating of the Xiashagou Fauna and implication for sequencing the mammalian faunas in the Nihewan Basin, North China

ESR dating of the Hougou Paleolithic site in the Nihewan Basin, North China, using both additive and regenerative dose methods

Magnetostratigraphic dating of the Huojiadi Paleolithic site in the Nihewan Basin, North China

Magnetostratigraphic evidence of a mid-Pliocene onset of the Nihewan Formation – implications for early fauna and hominid occupation in the Nihewan Basin, North China

The fluvio-lacustrine sedimentary sequences in the Nihewan Basin, northern China, are important for studying Quaternary land mammal evolution and Paleolithic settlements in the high-latitude temperate East Asia. Here we report new magnetostratigraphic results that constrain age of the Hougou Paleolithic site in this basin. Magnetite and hematite were identified as carriers of the characteristic remanent magnetizations, with the former being dominant. Magnetic polarity stratigraphy shows that the Hougou sequence recorded the very late Matuyama reverse chron and the Brunhes normal chron. The age of the Hougou Paleolithic site was estimated to be 395 ka based on an averaged rate of sediment accumulation. The combination of our magnetostratigraphy and previously published chronological data for early Paleolithic or human sites in the high-latitude northern China may document a persistent colonization of the hostile high-latitude areas of the eastern Old World during the middle- early Pleistocene.