汉水汤汤郧县人 出土改写人类史
Living along the vast Hanjiang River, Yunxian Man rewrote human history upon discovery
震惊中外的考古现场正建设遗址公园
A Heritage Park is Under Construction at an Archaeological Site whose Discovery Shocked The World
极目新闻记者 关前裕
通讯员 姬廷顺
JIMU News Reporter: Guan Qianyu
Correspondent: Ji Tingshun
译者：佟洁馨、王嘉伟、马泳斐（湖北大学）
Translators: Tong Jiexin, Wang Jiawei, Ma Yongfei (Hubei University)
两件“郧县人”头骨化石的复制品，躺在十堰市博物馆的展厅里，似乎用穿越百万年的深邃“眼眸”，凝视着岁月沧桑。
Two duplicates of the skull fossil of “Yunxian Man” are exhibited in the Museum of Shiyan, Hubei province. It almost seems that the skulls are staring at the tremendous changes which have occurred over millions of years.
1989年和1990年，十堰市郧阳区（原郧县）青曲镇弥陀寺村学堂梁子的一次文物普查，一锄头改写世界古人类演化历史。这里先后出土两具保存完好的古人类头骨化石，经科学家测定为距今约100万年的直立人，被命名为“郧县人”，直接撼动“人类起源于非洲”的科学定论。
In 1989 and 1990, a census of cultural relics rewrote the world history of ancient human evolution with a simple dig of a hoe at the Liangzi school site of Mituosi Village (In Qingqu Town, Yunyang District, Shiyan City). It was at this site that two well-preserved skull fossils were excavated. Scientists confirmed that the two skull fossils are the relics of the homo erectus who lived here about one million years ago, and named them “Yunxian Man”, which directly shook the scientific theory “Out of Africa”.
近年来，各界积极推动郧县人遗址公园建设，让考古成果与公众共享。
In recent years, people from all walks of life have actively promoted the construction of the heritage Park of Yunxian Man, so that archaeological results can be shared with the public.
“郧县人”遗址 “Yunxian Man” site
头骨化石震惊中外
The discovery of skull fossils shooks China and other countries
4月下旬，极目新闻记者来到“郧县人”遗址。站在学堂梁子高地远眺，曲远河在此与汉江相会。
In late April, reporters from JIMU News came to the site of “Yunxian Man”. Standing at the Liangzi school site and looking far into the distance, the reporters could see the convergence of the Quyuan River and the Hanjiang River.
亿万年来，人类祖先总是逐水而居，选择在水草丰美的两河交汇处、大河拐弯处生存、繁衍。遗址上，“郧县人头骨化石出土地”纪念碑格外醒目。考古工作者们在野外工作钢棚下，有的在有条不紊地开展探方发掘，有的在分析挖掘出的表层土壤性质。
For hundreds of millions of years, human ancestors have always lived by the water. They chose to survive and thrive at the convergence or the bends of big rivers with lush grasses. On the site, the monument “Unearthed place of Yunxian Human Skull Fossils” is particularly eye-catching. Archaeologists are working under the steel shed with some of them excavating the ground in an orderly manner while others analyze the components of the surface soil.
发掘队领队、湖北省文物考古研究所副研究员陆成秋告诉极目新闻记者，这是对学堂梁子“郧县人”遗址进行的第六次考古发掘。由湖北省文物考古研究所、中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所、武汉大学联合主导实施发掘与研究，十堰市博物馆和郧阳博物馆配合实施。发掘工作从2021年1月启动，考古工作者们希望能有新的重大发现。
Lu Chengqiu, the leader of the excavation team and associate researcher at the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, told JIMU News reporters that this is the sixth archaeological excavation of the “Yunxian Man” site. The excavation and research are jointly led by the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Wuhan University and supported by the Museum of Shiyan and the Museum of Yunyang. The excavation was started in January 2021, and archaeologists hope to make new major discoveries with their efforts.
历史上，这里有两次震惊世界的重大考古发现，早已载入人类史册。
Throughout history, two major archaeological discoveries made here shocked the world and have been recorded in human history.
1989年5月18日，郧县博物馆馆长王正华，在郧县（现郧阳区）青曲镇弥陀寺村学堂梁子发现了一具距今约百万年的直立人头骨化石。经中科院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所研究员、世界著名古人类学专家贾兰坡教授鉴定：这是真正的古人类化石，是亚洲人类的直系祖先。中法专家通过先进的颅骨扫描技术，确定它属于距今100万年的晚期直立人。
On May 18th, 1989, Wang Zhenghua, the director of the Yunxian Museum, discovered a skull fossil of the Homo erectus who lived here about one million years ago at the Liangzi school site in Mituosi Village, Qingqu Town, Yunxian County (now Yunyang District). The world-renowned expert in paleoanthropology Professor Jia Lanpo, researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences authenticated that this is a real ancient human fossil and was the direct ancestor of Asian people. Chinese and French experts confirmed through advanced skull scanning technology that the skull fossil was from the late Homo Erectus, who lived one million years ago.
1990年5月，湖北考古研究所专家李天元等人，又在距这具古人类头骨化石遗址3.3米的砾石层，发掘到另一具完整的古人类头骨化石。1991年2月5日，李天元第一次公开1990年在郧县发现的古人类头骨化石的有关情况，并提出了“郧县人”的命名。
In May 1990, in a gravel layer 3.3 meters away from the discovery site from the previous year, another complete ancient human skull was excavated by Li Tianyuan, an expert from Hubei Institute of Archaeology and his colleagues. On February 5th, 1991, Li Tianyuan disclosed for the first time information of the 1990 discovery of skull fossils in Yunxian, and proposed to name them “Yunxian Man”.
曲远河畔的学堂梁子 Liangzi School site along the Quyuan river
改变“人类起源非洲”说
Changing the “Out of Africa” theory
“在同一个地点，郧县连续发现两具比较完全的古人类头骨化石，全国唯一，世界少有。”著名古人类学家、中科院院士吴新智如此评价。
Wu Xinzhi, a famous paleoanthropologist and academic with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that, two rather complete fossil hominid cranias were continuously excavated in the same location of Yunxian County. Such an excavation is not only one of its kind in China but also rare in the world.
人究竟起源于非洲还是其他地方？至今仍结论不一。
Debates on whether humans originated in Africa or elsewhere have remained unsettled.
1924年，澳大利亚教授达特在南非发现一颗南方古猿颅骨化石，测定的年代距今约240万年。因此，国际学术界断定：非洲的南方古猿是人类的直系祖先，亚洲的早期人类是由非洲的早期人类迁徙而来。
In 1924, Australian Professor Dart found in South Africa an Australopithecus skull fossil that was dated back to 2.4 million years ago. Therefore, the international academic community concluded that the Australopithecus in Africa was the direct ancestor of humans, and the early humans in Asia migrated from Africa.
1984年，吴新智院士与两位外国人类学家联名提出现代人起源的多地区进化说，主张现今的4大人种分别起源于中国、非洲等4个地区，他们在各自的地区相对独立地连续进化，互相间有一定程度的基因交流，使得全人类发展成——智人。
In 1984, Wu and two foreign paleoanthropologists jointly put forward the Multi-regional Evolution Theory on the origin of modern humans. They claimed that the existing four major human races originated from four regions, including China and Africa. And the four races had relatively independent and continuous evolution in their own regions and had gene exchanges to a certain extent, turning humans into homo sapiens.
“郧县人”的发现为此观点提供了一个很好的注脚。
The discovery of “Yunxian Man” was the perfect piece of evidence to prove his statements.
中外科学家在分析“郧县人”化石后，认定这是一种晚期直立人，生活在距今100万年。又因为这两具头骨化石标本保存得十分完好，脑颅和面颅基本完整，认为它对人类的起源与发展具有很高的学术研究价值。美国《发现》杂志1993年1月号把“郧县人”的发现，评选为世界50项重要科学成果之一。
After analyzing the fossils of “Yunxian Man”, scientists in the world determined that they were a group of late Homo erectus who lived one million years ago. And since the two skull fossils specimen were well-preserved, with the neurocranium and facial cranium remaining complete, it is of great academic value in the study of the origin and development of humans. In January 1993, Discover selected the “Yunxian Man” as one of the 50 important scientific achievements in the world.
持“人类起源非洲”说的权威代表人物、英国自然历史博物馆人类起源研究室主任STRINGER教授也表示：“也许现代人是起源于非洲和中国吧。”
Professor STRINGER, a powerful advocate of the “Out of Africa” Theory and director of the Human Origins Research Laboratory at the British Museum of Natural History, said that “modern human beings might have originated from Africa and China.
“郧县人”头骨化石 Skull fossil of “Yunxian Man”
汉江是人类进化廊道
Hanjiang River: a Corridor for Human Evolution
经过多次发掘，考古人员在学堂梁子“郧县人”文化遗址层中，共出土石片、砍砸器、刮削器、石锤、两面器、手斧等石器达上万件，还挖掘大量与古人类化石伴生的各种哺乳动物化石。
After many excavations, archaeologists discovered not only hundreds of thousands of stone tools including gallets, choppers, scrapers, stone hammers, bifacial tools and hand axes, but also a large number of mammal fossils that lived along with the ancient human fossils.
1998年，法国国家自然博物馆与中科院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所、湖北省文物研究所合作，对“郧县人”遗址进行系统研究。专家研究了从遗址出土的9件手斧后认为，“郧县人”是中国目前发现的最早使用手斧的古人类。这一发现改写了长期存在于西方学术界“旧石器时代中国无手斧”的定论。
In 1998, systematic researches on “Yunxian Man” site were conducted by the French National Museum of Natural History, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics. After studying nine hand axes excavated from the site, experts believe that until now, “Yunxian Man” are the first ancient human beings to use hand axes in China. This finding changed the long-held conclusion in the Western academic community that “China had no hand axes in the Paleolithic era”.
可喜的是，75万年前的郧县梅铺猿人、60万年前的郧西白龙洞猿人、5万年前的郧西黄龙洞猿人都分布在“郧县人”头骨化石出土地方圆百十公里范围内，有力地说明百万年来郧阳地区优越的生存条件。
It's very gratifying to see that Yunyang Area was an ideal living condition for Homo erectus for millions of years since clearly undeniable proof of many skull fossils were uncovered around “Yunxian Man” site such as the Meipu Homo Erectus of Yunxian County dating back to 750 thousand years ago, the Bailongdong Homo Erectus some 600 thousand years ago in west of Yunxian County and the Huanglongdong Homo Erectus some 50 thousand years ago in west of Yunxian County.
2010年6月，中科院院士吴新智、中科院古脊椎所副所长高星、中国地域文化研究会主任傅广典等44名中外专家发布“关于人类起源与演化遗产保护的共识”宣言：以郧县为中心，汉江中上游是中国人类演化研究的重要区域，人类起源与演化遗产地是世界人民的共同财富。
In June, 2010, forty four Chinese and foreign experts including Wu Xinzhi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Science, Gao Xing, deputy director of the Institute of ancient vertebrae of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fu Guangdian, director of the China Regional Culture Research Association jointly issued the Declaration of “Consensus on the Protection of Human Origin and Evolution Heritage”: With Yunxian County as its core, the middle and upper reaches of Han River are important areas for the study of human evolution in China. The heritage site of human origin and evolution is a common wealth for all around the world.
湖北省博物馆馆长、湖北省文物考古研究所所长方勤说，在距今100万年左右的“郧县人”遗址周边，还有约50万年前的梅铺猿人遗址、白龙洞遗址，约10万年前的黄龙洞遗址。古人类遗址如此富集，在全国仅有、世界罕见，表明汉江流域以郧阳为核心的区域，是古人类起源、演化的重要区域，堪称人类进化廊道。
“Around the ‘Yunxian Man’ site dating back 1 million years ago, there are sites of 500 thousand year-old Homo erectus in Meipu County and White Dragon Cave site (earlier than Homo erectus Pekinensis site in Zhoukoudian, Beijing), and 100 thousand year-old Yellow Dragon Cave site. The abundance of ancient human heritage sites in this area is unique within China and even more rare throughout the world indicating that the region along Hanjiang River basin with Yunyang as its core is a vital area for the origination and evolution of ancient human beings, so much so it can be hailed as the Corridor of Human Evolution.” said Fang Qin, director of Hubei Provincial Museum and Hubei Institute of cultural relics and archaeology.
推进遗址公园建设
Promoting the construction of the heritage park
专家呼吁，加快学堂梁子“郧县人”遗址的保护、开发、研究和利用。通过进一步的调查、发掘，为多学科的研究提供更丰富的资料，为经济社会发展服务。推动遗址公园的建设，将其建成一个国际性的人类进化演化研究、科普教育、研学旅行基地。
Experts appealed for the speeding up of the protection, development, research and use of the site of “Yunxian Man”, and through further investigating and exploring, provide more abundant data for multidisciplinary research while also advancing the development of the economy and society. This will in turn boost the construction of a Site Park that can be an international base for human evolution research, science education, and educational travel.
中科院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所博士冯小波曾表示，我国百万年的人类史、一万年的文化史、五千多年的文明史，在汉江流域都有所体现。为此，近年来，我省积极推动“郧县人”遗址公园建设。
Feng Xiaobo, PhD of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, once mentioned that the Hanjiang River has witnessed millions of years of human history in China, 10 thousand years of cultural history and more than 5000 years of civilization. Therefore, officials in Hubei Province have recently proactively promoted the building of the heritage park of “Yunxian Man”.
2001年，郧县人遗址成为全国重点文物保护单位；2014年，由中国文化遗产院编制的《学堂梁子遗址保护规划》获国家文物局批复；2020年，《学堂梁子（郧县人遗址）公园登山道路、步行道、展示用房（含标本用房）方案设计》获国家文物局批准。
The “Yuxian Man” Site became the key unit of cultural relics protection at national level in 2001; the Heritage Protection Plan of Liangzi School Site compiled by the Chinese Academy of Culture Relics got approval from the National Cultural Heritage Administration in 2014; the Design of Mountaineering Road, Pedestrian Road and Exhibition Room (including specimen room) in the Heritage Park of Liangzi School (Yunxian Man site) was approved by the National Cultural Heritage Administration in 2020.
2021年3月，省文旅厅批复了《关于学堂梁子考古遗址公园规划的意见》，原则同意按照所报规划推进学堂梁子考古遗址公园建设。当年9月5日，荆楚大遗址传承发展工程推进会在汉召开，对包括郧县人遗址在内的荆楚大遗址传承发展工程项目库建设，提出新的要求。
In March, 2021, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Hubei Province approved the Opinions on the Planning of Liangzi School Archaeological Site Park, which agreed to promote the construction of the park based on the plan. On September 5th, 2021, a meeting on the promotion of the inheritance and development of the Jingchu Great Relics project was held in Wuhan, on which new requirements for the construction of its library — including Yunxian Homo Erectus site — was proposed.
此外，“中国·郧阳文化高峰论坛”和“郧县人”头骨化石发现30周年国际学术研讨会陆续召开，遗址地形测绘图已完成。
Moreover, The “Forum for Chinese Yunyang Culture” and the International Symposium on the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the skull fossils of “Yunxian Man” have been held in succession, and the topographic mapping of the site has been completed.
郧阳区相关负责人介绍，力争到“十四五”末建成集遗址保护、考古发掘、科研科普、休闲观光为一体的古人类生存演化研究的遗址公园，吸引更多公众走进遗址公园，共享“中国百万年人类史重要实证地”考古成果。
According to the principals of Yunyang District,efforts will be made to build a heritage park integrating site protection, archaeological excavation, scientific research and popular science, and leisure and sightseeing by the end of the 14th five-year plan in order to attract more people to visit and share in the archaeological achievements of “this important site that is evidence of China's millions of years of human history”.