The Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site had further valuable research potential, a leading Chinese scientist said at a recent celebration of the 15th anniversary of the site's joining the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Wu Xinzhi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS),said that Zhoukoudian site was still the forefront of international research for paleoanthropology, Paleolithic archeology and geology.

The first skull of Peking Man dating back 500,000 years was discovered at the site in Beijing's southwest suburbs in 1929. Since then, the site has become the focus of international prehistoric archeology and paleoanthropology circles.

The site held evidence of the earliest human's use of fire and was known as the only site showing continuous prehistoric human activity between 500,000 and 10,000 years ago.

Wu said the Zhoukoudian Ruins had the richest materials of prehistoric man in the world.

He believed that even at the areas that were excavated, many useful materials remain to be explored.

(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2002)