Pinglu Dragon Bones

Pinglu Dragon Bones

　　The "dragon bones" purchased by traditional Chinese medicine shops are not actually "dragon bones," nor are the so-called "dragon teeth" really dragon teeth. What we refer to as "dragon bones" are in fact the skeletal remains of extinct mammals that lived on Earth during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs (from 12 million to several tens of thousands of years ago). When these animals died and were buried underground, after their skin and fur decayed, the remaining bones and teeth underwent prolonged mineral infiltration and eventually fossilized, which paleontologists refer to as mammalian fossils. For example, the "five-colored dragon bones" purchased by the Pinglu County Medicine Company are mostly the incisors and molar teeth of ancient elephants, while white and green teeth are fossilized teeth from rhinoceroses, bovines, three-toed horses, Sanmen horses, and deer. Medicine companies generally are unwilling to purchase those "dragon bones" that do not stick to the tongue when licked — these are usually vertebrate bones, teeth, or antlers that are too ancient and have completely fossilized.

　　　　Pinglu County is located in the Yellow River basin, where the geologically termed "Sanmen System" strata are quite well-developed and contain an abundance of mammalian fossils. "Dragon bones" are a traditional Chinese medicinal material. According to qualitative analysis of dragon bones, they contain chemical elements such as calcium, potassium, aluminum, and iron, often showing positive reactions to carbonate and phosphate radicals. Dragon bones are commonly used in clinical settings to treat restlessness, insomnia, epilepsy, dizziness caused by liver yin deficiency and excessive yang rising, as well as various conditions of deficiency and collapse. From an archaeological perspective, collecting dragon bones can reflect the differences between ancient and modern animals, as well as their evolutionary processes.