周口店第1地点古人类用火的岩石磁学证据

Controlled use of fire by early humans is a long-standing issue in Paleoanthropology, Archeology and Quaternary Geology. The Locality 1 of Zhoukoudian is one among the earliest sites of the topic. Excavations in the past decades showed abundant fire-related remains, supporting the view of controlled fire-use by Peking Man, however, doubted by researchers who emphasize the absence of ash or ash remnants and in situ hearth features in their analyzed samples. Our preliminary studies of the newly excavated possible fire-related sediments of the Layer 4 reveal strikingly high magnetic susceptibility and redness values. Therefore, this project will continue to focus on these possible fire-related sediments and others on the same level, firstly, to reveal the distinction of magnetic mineralogy and clay mineralogy between possible burnt area and other areas by rock magnetism and clay mineralogy measurements; secondly, to investigate the heat-related change in magnetic mineral and clay minerals by experimental heating of natural sediments from Layer 4 in laboratory; thirdly, to analyze the mechanism of magnetic enhancement, and to reveal the heating temperature by comparison of those results. For difference between the temperature of human controlled fire and nature fire, this project will provide the key evidence for the use of fire study at Zhoukoudian.

古人类用火问题是人类演化研究中的重要课题。周口店北京猿人遗址是保存有最早人类控制用火证据的遗址之一，在古人类学、考古学等领域有极其重要的地位。近年来有学者对遗址用火证据提出质疑，认为其中不存在灰烬及残余，是否原地堆积也无法确定。本研究组前期对最近一次发掘中揭露的疑似用火相关沉积物进行了初步研究，发现部分疑似用火区磁化率及色度显著高于其他区域，但对其磁性增强机制尚不明确。本项目拟以新发现的疑似用火相关沉积物及与其处于同一 “古人类生活平面” 的沉积物为研究对象，首先通过系统的岩石磁学、粘土矿物分析，确定不同区域磁性矿物学及粘土矿物学的差异；其次通过室内条件实验获取同层位自然沉积物在不同加热温度、时长下的产物，考察加热对遗址自然沉积物磁性矿物及粘土矿物的影响；最后通过平面沉积物与条件实验结果的对比，分析疑似用火区沉积物磁性增强的机制，给出可能的受热温度，为周口店人类用火研究提供关键证据。