Chair: Dr. XING Song 

The Department focuses on the physical characteristics and behavioral traits of ancient humans, Paleolithic technology and culture, and investigates the origins and evolution of the genus Homo, with the goal of reconstructing the history of early human migration and cultural development.

Research Directions:

1. Study of human origins and evolution, and the physical variation and development of modern human populations, based on fossil hominins and apes;

2. Establishment of a chronological framework for Paleolithic cultural development in China; investigation of the technological development, function, typology, and origins of ancient tools; and exploration of the subsistence patterns, social structures, and lifestyles of early humans;

3. Exploration of the coupling relationship between human evolution and environmental change.

Current Research Priorities:

1. Origins and dispersal of Homo erectus and modern humans in East Asia;

2. Lithic technology, tool function, and behavioral patterns of Paleolithic hominins;

3. Zooarchaeological studies of paleoanthropological sites.