Origins of Burial Practices in Eastern Part of Eurasia: The Case of Zhoukoudian Cave

New carbon dating reveals the Zhoukoudian cave, a renowned site associated with Peking Man, as the earliest burial complex in Eastern Eurasia, dating back 33.5–38.4 thousand years cal. BP. This discovery highlights a significant gap of ten to fifteen thousand years between Zhoukoudian and other Upper Paleolithic burials in the region. The study suggests that Zhoukoudian's burial practices, characterized by ornaments like perforated animal teeth and bone tubes, align culturally with areas west of Lake Baikal, indicating early Homo sapiens migration patterns into East Asia. Unlike southern Eurasian traditions marked by cremation and limited offerings, Zhoukoudian's rituals remain elusive but are linked to northern Eurasian influences, challenging the narrative of regional burial evolution.

Yanshina, O. V. (2022). Origins of Burial Practices in Eastern Part of Eurasia: The Case of Zhoukoudian Cave. Bulletin of the Irkutsk State University. Geoarchaeology, Ethnology, and Anthropology Series, 41, 81–91. https://doi.org/10.26516/2227-2380.2022.41.81