The two central incisors represented here (top pictures are lingual view, bottom pictures are labial view), from a site in the Yuanmou basin of Yunnan, have been dated to approximately 1.8 MYA and are perhaps the oldest human fossils known from China. Questions regarding their provenience (i.e. where they were found on the landscape) have, however, raised questions in some people's minds about their great antiquity and it has been suggested that they date to approximately 700,000 YA. They show well-developed shovelling lingually (a typically Asian trait) and are without doubt attributable to H. erectus

The Lantian skull-cap from Gongwangling in Shaanxi province, shown here in superior view, has recently been dated to approximately 1.15 MYA and is the oldest substantial fossil human specimen from China. It retains a number of "primitive" features not seen in later human fossils from China, including an extreme degree of post-orbital constriction and a very low cranial capacity (~780 ml). It is reminiscent in many ways of fossil hominids from East Africa assigned by some to the taxon H. ergaster and can also be favorably compared to Early Pleistocene human fossils from Java. All this material is generally attributed to an early form of H. erectus .

This reconstruction of the complete Lantian cranium from Gongwangling is composed of the skull-cap, a part of the right maxilla (upper jaw) and a small portion of the temporal bone, all from one individual. Of particular significance is the low origin of the zygomatic root and the obliquely angled cheek bones, "primitive" features seen in other early forms of H. erectus but lost in more advanced forms of H. erectus from China which have a cheek region more like modern Asians.

The Lantian mandible from Chenjiawo, shown here, is dated to approximately 670,000 years ago and is hence not directly associated with the skull-cap shown above in either time or space. It is one of the most complete lower jaws of H. erectus known from China.

Two fossil human crania from early Middle Pleistocene terrace deposits of the Han River in the central Chinese province of Hubei were discovered at a site in Yun county (Yunxian) in 1989 and 1990. The second cranium is shown here in left lateral view. Although somewhat crushed and distorted, Yunxian 2 is the most complete archaic human fossil found to date on the Asian mainland. It has basicranial and cranial vault features reminiscent of H. erectus as known from Zhoukoudian and elsewhere. In certain other respects, primarily its overall robusticity, large facial dimensions and brow-ridge morphology it is similar to archaic humans known from Europe and Africa.

Shown here is an oblique facial view of Yunxian 2. Its facial dimensions are virtually identical to those seen in archaic hominids from Europe (e.g. Petralona) and Africa (eg. Bodo and Broken Hill). It differs, however, in having a relatively retracted mid-face, a well-expressed canine fossa and high, horizontally oriented cheek bones, traits commonly seen in fossil and extant Asian people

This right lateral view of Yunxian 2 gives another perspective on this important specimen. It is now thought that the Yunxian specimens predate the famous material of "Peking Man" from Zhoukoudian by perhaps 200-300,000 years.

Although severely crushed and distorted the Yunxian 1 cranium is virtually complete. Its mid-facial anatomy is well-preserved and confirms morphological features seen in the less distorted but damaged Yunxian 2 cranium. Other morphological features are also consistent with those seen in the Yunxian 2 cranium. Both Yunxian 1 and 2 share cranial vault and facial traits similar to those seen in western archaics, such as at Atapuerca, Spain while retaining cranial base features commonly seen in other archaic east Asian human fossils.