Cave Deposits Of The Zhoukoudian Formation in Beijing

Palaeo-anthropological fossil relics have been found at Beijing Zhoukoudian Site 1. The layer is more than 40 m thick and contains fossils of Homo erectus, stone artefacts and fossils of fauna and flora as well as information about long-term continuous climate fluctuations that can be used for comparisons with past global climate changes. From top to bottom, this section can be divided into thirteen basic beds and a basal gravel bed, which can be further sub-divided into beds 14 (the bottom gravel bed), 15, 16 and 17. The upper beds (1–3) are 230,000 years old. The lithology and the fossils reflect the climate conditions and provide dating information. This section can be divided into seven sedimentary cycles that reflect the influence of climate fluctuations. An important characteristic of the Peking Man Cave deposits is the alternating beds of breccias and non-breccias. The former reflect cold weather and severe physical weathering, and the latter reflect warmer climatic conditions.