许家窑-侯家窑遗址年代学研究进展

人类的起源与演化一直是考古学及其他学科研究的重点。泥河湾盆地，是我国古人类文化的重要组成部分，在泥河湾盆地的许家窑-侯家窑遗址，正处于现代人起源、扩散的关键时期，为解决我国甚至东亚的现代人起源问题具有举足轻重的作用。前人对遗址进行过多次系统挖掘，开展了一系列不同方法的年代学工作，然而其文化层年代却有较大的争议。本文对许家窑-侯家窑遗址文化层的年代进行系统总结，通过对前人用不同测年方法获得年代进行综合对比。结果表明：不同方法测定的许家窑-侯家窑遗址文化层的年代差距过大，难以确定文化层的年代。许家窑-侯家窑遗址文化层的年代的不确定，严重影响了众多学者对于我国现代人起源的进一步研究。年代测量方法虽然众多，但是不同测年方法，有着不同的测年区间，因此后期需要根据许家窑-侯家窑遗址的年代区间来选择适合的测量方法，并使用不同材料来进行对比分析获得最为准确的年代。

Research progress on age of Xujiayao-Houjiayao Site

Background, aim, and scope The origin and evolution of human beings have always been the focus of archeological research. The legacy of Xujiayao man found in Nihewan Basin formed a critical period for the emergence and spread modern people. Nevertheless, there remains ongoing debate regarding the age of the Xujiayao-Houjiayao Site. This article aims to examine the chronology of the Xujiayao-Houjiayao Site, with a particular emphasis on addressing notable concerns raised in prior research. Materials and methods This study mainly summarizes the principle and measurement results of dating the cultural layers with different methods of the Xujiayao-Houjiayao Site. Results At present, the main methods for measuring the age of the cultural layer of the Xujiayao-Houjiayao Site are paleomagnetic dating and electron spin resonance. The main methods for determining the age of the cultural layer of the Xujiayao-Houjiayao Site include paleomagnetic dating, electron spin-resonance spectroscopy, ¹⁴C, optically stimulated luminescence, Uranium-series disequilibrium dating and ²⁶Al/¹⁰Be. However, the conclusions drawn by the different methods are very different, with the largest difference of 500 ka BP. The Xujiayao-Houjiayao Site is 500 ka BP with paleomagnetic methods and K/Ar dating, while the youngest site is 16 ka BP using the rhino bone fossil measured by ¹⁴C. Discussion This paper summarizes and analyzes various hypotheses about the origin and dispersal of modern humans at home and abroad. Currently, some scholars believe that modern humans may have a single origin in Africa, while others believe that modern humans evolved from Homo sapiens in different regions. However, after entering the 21st century, both hypotheses have undergone subtle changes, and both tend to be African. Modern humans provide most genes for human beings around the world. The Xujiayao man, discovered in Nihewan Basin in China, is about 100 ka BP old and lies in the key period of the mergence and spread of modern Chinese people, so it is great significance. However, the age of the Xujiayao site has long been a matter of great controversy, and the conclusions drawn from physical dating methods are quite different. The reason may be that the paleoenvironmental evolution of Nihewan Basin is not combined with dating methods, and there is a lack of constraints on age determination. Conclusions At present, the age of Xujiayao-Houjiayao Site is difficult to unify, so it is necessary to improve the working methods and do more research. Recommendations and perspectives To determine the age of the Xujiayao-Houjiayao Site, it is important to link the ancient human activities in the cultural layer of the site with the changes of the ancient environment at that time, especially the extinction of ancient lake water and volcanoes. The extinction of ancient lake water may provide a lower age limit for the cultural layer of the site; by determining the active period of the Datong volcano and combining it with the stratigraphic age, the cultural age of the site can be better understood.