Largest excavation in history launched at Peking Man site

China National News (ANI) Thursday 19th May, 2011

Chinese archaeologists have launched the largest protective excavation since the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site was first excavated in 1921.

The protective excavation of the No.1 site at the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site was launched on May 16.

The No.1 site of the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site is located on the northeastern slope of Longgu Mountain and is the most important site of the Zhoukoudian Peking Man relics. A total of more than 200 "Peking Man" fossils were excavated at this site since 1921. Currently, the Ape-man Cave still holds one-third of the original accumulations. This is very important for further studies on paleoanthropology, paleogeology and paleoenvironment.

The excavation is being supervised by the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site Administration and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, which falls under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Officials from the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site Administration said that the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Relics Museum began constructing scaffolding for the excavation in February 2011 and the excavation was officially launched on May 16.

According to the Daily Mail, the current excavation is the largest protective excavation since the Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site was first excavated in 1921.

"The excavation will last at least one or two years," officials said. (ANI)