A piece of bone discovered from the cave site. [People's Daily Online]

 

An important Paleolithic cave site, named "Water Curtain Cave Site", was discovered in the Huhushui Scenic Area in Heibei Province, north China.

This site is located in the steep ridges at the eastern foot of Taihang Mountains. The cave with a small opening is just behind the water curtain of a waterfall. In shape the cave is narrow, but long and winding.

Archaeologists's preliminary investigation proved abundant cultural relics in the "Water Curtain Cave Site," which so far mainly comprise stoneware and animal bones. Scrape marks can still be seen on the bones from the ancient people chopping or scraping meat from them.

A great deal of stone ware was also found in the cave. It is believed that the masters of the "Water Curtain Cave Site" used hammers to make stone tools, indicating the emerge of smashing technology.

Xie Fei, vice minister of the Hebei Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, said that the "Water Curtain Cave Site", with an estimated age of between 20,000 and 30,000 years old, is an important Paleolithic cave site which geologically dates from the late Quarternary period, and culturally dates back to the later Paleolithic period.

Xie said that the discovery ends the history of no cave sites at the eastern foot of the Taihang Mountains. The cave site, together with the Paleolithic cultural heritage found at the Peking Man Site in Zhoukoudian, Beijing and the Xiaonanhai Site in Anyang, Henan Province, contributes more to the research on Paleolithic civilization in north China.

The local government and the cultural heritage administration will soon make an archaeological excavation plan to excavate the "Water Curtain Cave Site," and carry out further archaeological excavation and research works. They will also formulate an overall protection plan for the "Water Curtain Cave Site," in order to better protect the cave site.

(People's Daily Online/ Xinhua News Agency Aug 11, 2009)