龍(long)(long)骨山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)是中外馳名(ming)的(de)一座山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan),在(zai)房山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)區(qu)周口店西(xi)。因山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)上(shang)盛產中藥龍(long)(long)骨而(er)得名(ming)。這(zhe)些(xie)龍(long)(long)骨是怎(zen)么來(lai)(lai)的(de)呢?大家都知(zhi)道,大約(yue)在(zai)五、六十(shi)萬(wan)年前(qian),在(zai)這(zhe)座小山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)上(shang)的(de)天然洞(dong)(dong)穴(xue)里,居住(zhu)著(zhu)一種原始人類(lei),這(zhe)就是“北京人”、在(zai)距今大約(yue)十(shi)萬(wan)年前(qian),這(zhe)里又有(you)新(xin)洞(dong)(dong)人生活(huo)。在(zai)距今約(yue)18000年前(qian),山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)頂洞(dong)(dong)人也(ye)生活(huo)在(zai)這(zhe)座山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)頂部的(de)洞(dong)(dong)穴(xue)里。北京人、新(xin)洞(dong)(dong)人、山(shan)(shan)(shan)(shan)頂洞(dong)(dong)人都是舊石器時代(dai)的(de)原始人類(lei)。他們(men)死了以(yi)后(hou)尸骨存(cun)留(liu)在(zai)洞(dong)(dong)穴(xue)中變為化石。同(tong)時,他們(men)捕殺的(de)大量的(de)動物骨骼也(ye)在(zai)洞(dong)(dong)穴(xue)中堆(dui)積起來(lai)(lai),變成化石。由于古人缺(que)乏必要的(de)科學知(zhi)識,將這(zhe)些(xie)化石誤認為龍(long)(long)骨遺骸。它是一種名(ming)貴的(de)藥材。
因為從北(bei)京人(ren)(ren)到山頂洞(dong)(dong)人(ren)(ren),在山上的洞(dong)(dong)穴中生活居住的時(shi)間很長(chang),有幾十(shi)萬年(nian)之(zhi)久,因此這(zhe)(zhe)座(zuo)山上出產(chan)的龍(long)骨就(jiu)很多,人(ren)(ren)們就(jiu)稱(cheng)這(zhe)(zhe)座(zuo)山為龍(long)骨山。從本世紀(ji)二(er)十(shi)年(nian)代首(shou)次(ci)發現北(bei)京人(ren)(ren)的頭蓋骨化石之(zhi)后,龍(long)骨山便中外馳名(ming)。因為它是北(bei)京人(ren)(ren)、新洞(dong)(dong)人(ren)(ren)、山頂洞(dong)(dong)人(ren)(ren)的故鄉,是研究(jiu)古人(ren)(ren)類和古脊(ji)椎動物的科學基(ji)地。