Earlier this year, the Department of Ocean Science and Engineering at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) worked with their counterparts at the Social Science Center to conduct interdisciplinary research in Guizhou province. They traveled to the Zhaoguodong Cave and other sites for research.

Visiting Scholar Jing Zhichun (Social Science Center) and Assistant Professor Zhou Youmin (Ocean Science and Engineering) were joined by Professor Shen Chuan-Chou from the Department of Geology at Taiwan University. Director Zhou Bisu from the Guizhou Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology worked with the team. Together, they exchanged views on the next research program.

The Zhaoguodong site can be traced back as far as 38,000 years ago, and is critical for its strong cultural continuity and many material remains. In 2018, it was selected as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in China. The site also has many stalagmites containing rich environmental information from their formation process. This information is critical to understanding the lifestyles of the people of that era.

The research team examined the cave and stalagmite formation, before selecting suitable samples for high-precision analysis and testing. A CCTV team was in attendance to cover their work. After completing their sampling work, the team inspected several caves in the local area to garner a better understanding of their local environment and stalagmite development.

This is the third field trip of the joint scientific research team. The Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has joined this research team in the past, along with other related institutions, as many are keen to learn about these cave sites.