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The book tells the stories about Peking Man and the origin and the development of human beings as well. Chapter one introduces the historic background before the discovery of Peking Man fossils and the development of Paleolithic archaeology. Then a detailed story of the discovery of Peking Man and the excavations at the Dragon Hill, Zhoukoudian are described. This chapter also covers the study of Peking Man fossils, the geological ages and absolute dating, paleoenvironmental change and the lithic technology of Peking Man. The taphonomic controversy put forth by American archaeologist L. Binford is discussed. The loss of and search for Peking Man fossils are both a weird story and painstaking endeavors carried out worldwidely. Chapter two tells a course of human evolution from the earliest primate, austrapithecus, Homo erectus, Neanderthals to modern human. Chapter three deals with the behavior of Early Man, cultural ecology, paleoenvironment, migration, and the development of technology. The archaeological evidence of use of fire by Early Man around world is discussed. Settlement pattern and the development of human intelligence are another interesting issue covered in the chapter. Chapter four talks about the dawn of civilization, from the Mesolithic Age to the emergence of state and urban. The origin of agriculture and the theoretical perspective of both the theory of population pressure and the competitive feasting model are major topics in the chapter which become a hot spot in the professional community of world archaeology. The emergence of complex socities and the issue pertaining to the origin of chiefdom and state are introduced. Case studies from China, Mespotamia, Egypt, and Mesoamerica are provided.
Finally, the book briefly addresses the issue about our future from a perspective of archaeologist, thinking about where we were from and where we are heading. Air and water pollution, overpopulation, environmental degeneration are severe threat to the future development of human beings. These concerns are not groundless fears.

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