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Scientists from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and the Administration Bureau of Peking Man Site in Beijing have completed a laser scan survey of the Zhoukoudian cave system.

Zhoukoudian is famous for its archaeological discoveries, including one of the first specimens of a Chinese variant of Homo erectus, also known as Peking Man, and a giant hyena, Pachycrocuta brevirostris.

The site, which consists of at least four major caves, was discovered by Johan Gunnar Andersson in 1921 and first excavated by Otto Zdansky in 1921 and 1923. Two teeth discovered during this dig were later identified by Davidson Black as belonging to a previously unknown species and extensive excavations followed.

The Cenozoic Research Laboratory of the Geological Survey of China was established at the Peking Union Medical College in 1928 under Ding Wenjing and Weng Wenhao for the research and appraisal of the fossils as they were recovered.

Pei Wenzhong unearthed the first full scull at the site in 1929.

Excavation was bought to a halt in 1937 by the Japanese invasion of China. In 1941 the bulk of the finds disappeared while being transported to safety. Fortunately copies of the fossils had been taken to preserve their physical characteristics.

So far, the remains of about 45 individuals, as well as animals, stone flakes and chopping tools have been recovered. The oldest are some 750,000 years old, but the caves seem to have been occupied almost continuously. Upper Palaeolithic strata on the site have revealed the remains of modern humans -- Homo sapiens.

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the number of sightseers and scientists increased rapidly, and Zhoukoudian has become a great tourist attraction, although there has been only very limited excavation since the 1970s.

However, a recent decision will lead to the excavation of the western section of the caves. In order to record the original appearance of the cave in detail, scientists decided to use accurate and detailed 3D images through the use of 3D laser scanning.

The team selected a Faro laser scanner for the job. It generates 711 million pixels per scan. Several scans were completed. By repositioning the laser between scans, and then merging them, a 3D model of the entire cave system can be produced. In the confines of the cave, the scanner’s resolution is about 1000 times greater than that of a normal digital camera.

The 3D model will be used to determine excavation strategy for the near future. Laser cans will be made at each stage of excavation, so as to produce a complete historical record of the work.

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