Xiaokongshan Ape Man Site

Xiaokongshan Ape Man Site

The Xiaokongshan Ape Man Site is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Paleolithic

The Xiaokongshan Ape Man Site is located on the mountainside of Xiaokong Mountain, about 500 meters southeast of Du Zhuang Village, Xiaodian Township, Nanzhao County, Nanyang City. It lies to the west of Kongshan River and about 3 kilometers east of the Nanzhao Ape Man fossil site. In two caves spaced 7 meters apart vertically, a large number of Paleolithic stone tools and mammalian fossils were unearthed. The caves contain a residual ash layer about 1 meter thick, over 300 stone artifacts, and a large number of mammalian fossils, marking humanity’s progression toward a new historical civilization. Judging from the stone tool knapping techniques and morphological characteristics, the site dates to the late Late Pleistocene.

The Xinghuashan “Nanzhao Ape Man Site” is located on Xinghuashan Mountain, about 3.5 kilometers northwest of Yunyang Town, Nanzhao County. This area enjoys a sheltered location with abundant sunlight, ample rainfall, and a warm, humid climate, forming an ideal environment for the survival and development of living organisms. The ancestors of the Central Plains people—“Nanzhao Ape Men”—thrived in such surroundings.

Archaeologists discovered a number of ancient vertebrate fossils and a fossilized human tooth on Xinghuashan Mountain. Based on associated animal fossils and stratigraphic analysis, it was determined that the ancient humans found here lived around the same time as the “Peking Man,” approximately 500,000 to 600,000 years ago. These ancient humans were officially named “Nanzhao Ape Men.”

The Nanzhao Ape Man fossil site is one of the important ancient human sites discovered in China and the first of its kind in Henan Province. It fills a historical gap in the Paleolithic culture of the Central Plains, expands the distribution range of ape men in the Qinling region, and provides new material for further research on human origins and evolution. As a result, it was designated as a Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1987.

On the western foothills of Dakong Mountain lies Kongshan Cave, the hermitage site of Yan Ziling from the Han Dynasty. The cave entrance is over ten feet high, with a round hall inside. The cave extends to an unfathomable depth and contains a deep pool, with numerous bats inhabiting it. Scientific researchers have confirmed that this cave was also inhabited by ancient humans. Xinghuashan, Xiaokongshan, and Dakongshan, the three mountains located in close proximity, showcase the primeval culture of Nanzhao County and together form a series of sites akin to an ape man museum.

The discovery of the “Nanzhao Ape Man” is another significant find following those of Peking Man, Lantian Man, and Yuanmou Man. The Xinghuashan Ape Man Site is the birthplace of Central Plains human civilization and the origin of Central Plains humanity. It fills the gap in the distribution of ancient humans in the Central Plains and provides new data and insights for the study of human origins, distribution, and evolution, as well as ancient climatic changes and the Quaternary ge

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