Chairman
"The problem of human origin in Korea must be solved scientifically based on the archaeological data excavated in our country."
The historical relics and remains that tells the long history and brilliant cultural tradition of our country are valuable genuine data showing how our ancestors lived and developed.
Taehung Cave No 1 deposit is divided into 1st cultural layer (7th-14th sedimentary layer), 2nd cultural layer (15th-16th sedimentary layer), and 3rd cultural layer (17th-18th sedimentary layer), according to the state of the relics and remains, and in 1st cultural layer, human fossils and other rude stone implements have been discovered.
The human fossils include one skull (Taehung 5), three mandibles (Taehung 2, Taehung 4, Taehung 6), two maxillae (Taehung 1, Taehung 3), ten back bones, one pelvic bone, and one femur. This is called Taehung Man.
In addition, 29 animal fossils were also found in 1st cultural layer, 28 of which are existent and one extinct, whose relative age corresponds to the late Pleistocene.
This article attempts to clarify that the mandible of Taehung Man No. 4 discovered at the relics of Taehung Cave No. 1 has the morphological features of Homo sapiens in the late Paleolithic Age. The mandible of Taehung Man No. 4 is as shown below.
The mandible of Taehung Man No. 4 was slightly damaged in the lower part of the joint but it has basically been well preserved. The incisors and left canine are missing, and no osteoid repair of the teeth alveolus is seen.
The surface of the mandible is relatively rough and bone lines are heavy. The alveolus is parabolic with wide front; the mandible is large and heavy in total; the average size coefficient of the mandible is 122.8, the mandibular diaphysis size coefficient is 98.8, and the joint index is 56.3 which is larger than that of modern Koreans (115.6, 90.0, 40.3).
The teeth of the mandible No. 4 (right canine, right and left first and second premolars, first, second and third molars) have relatively simple occlusal surface and have robust tooth roots.
The archaic features also appeared in the mandible of Taehung Man No. 4.
First, the mandible has an average size coefficient of 123.6 and a mandibular diaphysis size coefficient of 94.0, which is significantly larger than the average size coefficient 115.6 and the mandibular diaphysis coefficient 90.0 of modern Koreans.
The mandibular joint index (53.1) ranges from Sungnisan Man(45.2), Mandal Man(43.8), and Sanjongdong Man (58.3) who belong to Homo sapiens.
The width and height of the mandibular branch are much wider and higher than that of modern Koreans. The coronoid process and condyle of the mandible are also remarkably larger and blunt than that of modern Koreans.
The teeth also show primitive features. First, they include the size of tooth crown. For example, mesiodistal crown width of the left second premolar (P4) is 6.8 mm, the buccolingual crown width is 9.2 mm, the mesiodistal crown width of the left first molar (M1) is 11.4 mm, the buccolingual crown width is 11.2 mm, thus belonging to the large ones of Homo sapiens. Second, the crown shape index of the first molar is large and the crown shape of the molars is close to square and the occlusal surface of the first molar has developed mesial triangular ridge and five cusps and it has the typical +Y-type. The talonid of the occlusal surface of first and second molars is wider than the triangular ridge, has developed enamel extension at the base of the tooth crown, and the size relationship of the molars is M1>M2>M3, the tooth roots are strong, and they are not significantly narrowed toward the tip of the tooth, but have a round cross section. As a result, Taehung Man No. 4 has features of Homo sapiens.
The features of the mandible of Taehung Man No. 4 show that Homo sapiens was distributed in our country in the late Paleolithic Age and that a culture existed in the middle of the Paleolithic Age and later in the culture of late Paleolithic Age was followed by one of the middle Paleolithic Age.
Taehung Man found at the relics of Taehung Cave No. 1 serves as valuable genuine material for scientifically elucidating the process of human evolution and development in the East Asian area including Korea.
