Dragon Bones

by Penny van Oosterzee

Men killed for them, stole for them, and died for them. "Dragon bones," coveted throughout China for their medicinal powers, are in reality animal fossils, ground down and sold through back-street Chinese apothecaries. Yet at one time these "dragon bones" proved more valuable than anyone had imagined, for they led to the unearthing of one of the most famous hominid fossils of all time-Peking Man. The Peking Man fossils were the first convincing evidence that humans arose from apelike hominids.Penny van Oosterzee has written a riveting historical account of the discovery of Peking Man, from the excavation of one small fossilized molar to the mysterious disappearance of the fossils at the beginning of the Second World War.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science

216 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1999

Reviews

[GoldGato · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book lures you in, but soon you're reading about the unearthing of Peking Man. Since this was, at the time, the most famous discovery of hominid fossils ever, the details become quite absorbing for the reader.

Ancient Chinese apothecaries believed that the teeth of dragons could be used as medicine for epilepsy and madness. They could also calm the soul. Thus, the book starts with a decent historical perspective and then moves into the Boxer Rebellion, which in turn introduces us to the archaeologists who made the famous fossil discovery.

This really is an enthralling read. It's also a nice book, with good typeset and perfect for holding with one hand while balancing the other on commuter train grips.

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time"

Book Season = Summer (makes you want to sign up for an expedition dig)

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected fascinating read that should be incorporated into school curriculum. The history of bones, evolution and war, all written for anyone to understand. The dedication shown by so many, even some that were misguided is extraordinary. What we know about our planet that has been discovered by some hardworking people, never ceases to amaze me. I thoroughly recommend this very short read, that has nothing to do with dragons at all really.

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, a pretty fast read, and I must say that the fact that the actual fossils of this H. erectus were--and remain lost--keeps me up at night.

[Jarrod Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably one of the strangest takes in this is that Homo erectus is actually the same species as Homo sapiens. If anything the statement that “The price paid for excessive taxonomising is confusion” rings true.