Many of us are interested in the ancient history of our planet. We know that, according to the scientific point of view, modern people have numerous ancestors from the animal world. We also know that Sinanthropus is a representative of such an ancient person. Let's talk about this in more detail.
Definition of a phenomenon
The synanthropes are a subspecies of ancient people who lived about 600-400 thousand years ago on our land during the period of its severe glaciation.
The Sinanthropus is called “homo erectus” (Homo erectus) or the “Beijing people”, since the first fossil Sinanthropus was discovered in China, not far from the current capital of this state.
In external parameters, this person looked like this: growth corresponded to the growth of modern Chinese, the right hand was better developed than the left, and the brain volume was about 1000 centimeters cubic.
What was such a person capable of?
Of course, Sinanthropus is a representative of the most ancient people. This is confirmed by modern scientific research in the field of ancient anatomy and physiology, and archaeological excavations.
So, in the dwellings of these people the remains of ash were found, which indicates that the synanthropes could use fire, the remains of animal bones, their teeth, and the simplest tools in their daily lives.
There is an assumption that this type of people could hunt animals, eat the meat of their relatives. However, this version was born in the Western world, while Chinese scientists deny it, they interpret archaeological finds in the habitats of the synanthropus in their own way.
Thus, Chinese scientists believe that the fact that parts of human skulls (mainly the upper part of the skull) were found in the caves of these ancient people testifies to the oldest religious ritual of burial of the remains of the dead. This kind of burial, by the way, has been preserved among some peoples at the pre-civilization stage of development. In this rite, already decayed bones of the relatives return to the general ritual bonfire and are there as a symbol of the unity of the whole tribe.
Synanthropus Bone Detection History
The fact that Sinanthropus is a representative of an ancient person has become a scientific fact relatively recently: only at the beginning of the last century. It was then, in 1927, that large archaeological excavations were carried out in China , in which both Chinese scientists and Western researchers participated.
Then the remains of the skeleton and pieces of skulls of this ancient man were discovered. In total, about 20 fragments of skeletons were found.
However, as a result of the tragic events of the middle of the last century caused by the World War, all these finds were lost.
The representative of whom is synanthropus: modern versions
In modern China, attempts have repeatedly been made to again produce archaeological research in the field of finds a hundred years ago.
Some parts of skulls and skeletons were found in Zhoukoudian. Therefore, in the modern world of this ancient man it is customary to call this name "Zhoukoudian". This is confirmed by the fact that Sinanthropus is a representative of the oldest branch of people.
However, in modern scientific knowledge there is no consensus on this ancient fossil species of anthropoids.
Some scientists believe that it was the evolution of the synanthropes that contributed to the formation of the Mongoloid race, therefore these people are the ancestors of modern Chinese. But other researchers believe that this branch of anthropoids became a dead end, and in the process of evolution completely ceased to exist.
It is very difficult to say which of them is right today, since in the ancient history of our planet there are still too many blank spots.
Therefore, the question of whether the synanthropus is a representative of the ancient ancestors of modern people or not, it is impossible to give a definite answer. Perhaps, in this matter, everyone is free to look for those answers that seem most acceptable to him.
However, the fact that such a subspecies existed is evidenced by numerous archaeological excavations with which it is difficult to argue.
Most likely, the next generations of scientists will have to solve this complex riddle that universal history has prepared for us. Let's hope they succeed.