Origin of Man in Southeast Asia

Transcription

1 Origin of Man in Southeast Asia Volume 1 Early Migration and Trade Routes Joachim Schliesinger

2 Origin of Man in Southeast Asia Volume 1 Early Migration and Trade Routes

3 Copyright 2015 Joachim Schliesinger. Origin of Man in Southeast Asia 1 Early Migration and Trade Routes (Phnom Penh, 2015) All rights reserved.

4 Contents Introduction 1 Homo erectus in China 3 Homo erectus in Southeast Asia 8 Early migration out of Africa by modern humans 11 Recent discoveries of human fossils in Laos and southern China 16 The Sunda Shelf and Sundaic region 20 Interbreeding with the extinct Denisovans 22 Out of Sundaland and out of Taiwan migration theories 28 Nusantao Maritime Trading and Communication Network (NMTCN) 33 Hoabinhian culture and trading routes 37 The Sonviian culture 41 Ancient maritime migration routes by modern humans 44 The way to Sinicization in China 54 Migration of the Austro-Asiatic Peoples 57 Migration of Austro-Asiatic peoples 62 Migration of Tibeto-Burman peoples 66 Migration of Tai-Kadai peoples 72 Indianization of Southeast Asia 78 Prehistoric products, trade and markets 85 Early trade in natural commodities 93 Early trade in industrial artifacts 98 Early trade in tools and utensils 100 Early trade in ornaments 104 Early trade in exotic goods 108 Early trade in metallurgical products 112 Division of labor: craftsmen and craftswomen 120 Early sea and land routes from India 122

5 The remnants of Yuanmou Man were discovered in 1965 in Yuanmou County of Yunnan Province. They are representing the earliest fossils of human ancestors found in East Asia. Body parts of Lantian Man were found in Lantian County of China s northwestern Shaanxi province. Skull sections of Lantien Man A cranium (or skullcap), nasal bones, a right maxilla and three molars were found at Kung-wang-ling. The skull was low and flat with thick walls and a small brain volume of 780 ml, indicating its resemblance to the small-brained Java man. The frontal bone was slanted and the superciliary arches were strong. These characteristics plus the protruding mouth indicate a rather primitive human form. A mandible (lower jaw) was discovered at Ch en-chia-wo. Bust of Lantien Man Remnants of Peking Man were discovered in during excavations at Zhoukoudian, near Bejing (Peking). Lower jaw section of Lantien Man 4

6 The findings of Peking Man appeared as irrefutable proof that Homo erectus is different from the ape in physical characters and cranial capacity. He was able to engage in creative behavior, develop culture, control fire, and hunt big animals. The discovery of Peking Man also enabled one to solve the long-lasting polemics that had continued since the discovery of Java man in the 19th century and proved that Homo erectus evolved from the ape. It has established the erect man stage which occupies the intermediate stage in human evolution. The discovery brought a sudden progress in the theory of human origin and evolution. Cranium of Peking Man (Homo erectus pekinensis) Based on femoral length, Peking man's height is about 156 cm for the male and 144 cm for the female. Bust of Peking Man A recent re-excavation of the cave-site and the finding of artifacts give answers as to how the Peking Man lived. These people have been quite meticulous about their clothing, using stone tools to soften and depress animal hides. The use-wear analysis of Peking Man's tools yielded several Sculptures of male and female Peking Man 5

7 Origin of Man in Southeast Asia 1 Early Migration and Trade Routes is a work about the early evolution of the various peoples in the area and our present knowledge about the early migration routes out of Africa into Asia and across the continent to such far lands as Australia and the many islands of the South Pacific. This volume highlights the distribution of peoples from the Sunda Shelf ( out of Sundaland migration theory) after the last Ice Age across mainland Southeast Asia and southern China and explains the migration route via Taiwan ( out of Taiwan migration theory) into mainland China. It also unveils the establishment of the early cultures and industries, which developed across both mainland and maritime Southeast Asia and adjoining China from the Neolithic Era to the first centuries of our Common Era and explains the Nusantao Maritime Trading and Communication Network (or NMTCN) concept, an early well organized trading and transportation interconnection between the mainland and the many islands across maritime Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. The evolutionary process is illustrated with plenty of images.