Three Gorges area: A cradle of humanity

Scientists say they have evidence that Wushan county in Chongqing Municipality is one of the original birthplaces of Homo sapiens.

Wushan Man, who lived in the Wushan Mountains in the Three Gorges area about two million years ago, is the oldest human being to be found in East Asia.

Scientists have located fossils of his teeth, along with the bones of many herbivorous animals. The bones were piled up, with no traces of bitemarks by carnivores. The most likely explanation is that the Wushan Man piled up the bones. Primitive stone tools excavated at the area also lend support to this conclusion.