Initial 26Al/10Be burial dating of the hominin site Bailong Cave in Hubei Province, central China

With the discovery of Homo erectus teeth, stone artifacts and a rich fauna, Bailong Cave in northern Hubei Province is an important hominin/archaeological site in China. However, due to the lack of suitable dating methods, the previous age estimates all come from biostratigraphic correlations. Here we report the first application of a radio-isotopic dating method to the site. Three 26Al/10Be measurements of two quartz samples give a weighted mean burial age of 0.76 ± 0.06 million years (Ma, 1σ). Taking into account possible bias of the dating method, stratigraphic order and evidence for rapid sedimentation, the cultural deposits of the site should be somewhat younger than the above date. This is consistent with previous biostratigraphic age estimates at around the Early/Middle Pleistocene transition, and possibly indicates an earlier human coexistence with Stegodon–Ailuropoda fauna than previously estimated.