国宝失踪之谜
<p>1929年至1936年，在中国北京的周口店，相继发掘出了三个成年古猿人头骨化石和众多的枕骨、眉骨、耳骨化石碎片。此事一经传出，立刻在世界上造成了轰动，因为“北京人”的存在，让人类不得不重新认定自己起源的旅程，是从中国北京的周口店开始的。国外学术界甚至将此事誉为古人类研究史上最为动人的发现。然而，抗日战争期间，“北京人”头盖骨化石却在辗转途中神秘失踪。时至今日，关于国宝的下落仍然是摆在我们面前的一个谜。</p><p><span word="From">From</span> 1929 <span word="to">to</span> 1936, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Zhoukoudian">Zhoukoudian</span>, <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="three">three</span> <span word="adult">adult</span> <span word="hominid">hominid</span> <span word="skulls">skulls</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="fragments">fragments</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="occipital">occipital</span>, <span word="eyebrow">eyebrow</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ear">ear</span> <span word="bones">bones</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="successively">successively</span> <span word="excavated">excavated</span>. <span word="As">As</span> <span word="soon">soon</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="incident">incident</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="out">out</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="immediately">immediately</span> <span word="caused">caused</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sensation">sensation</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>. <span word="Because">Because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="existence">existence</span> <span word="of">of</span> "<span word="Beijingers">Beijingers</span>", <span word="human">human</span> <span word="beings">beings</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="re">re</span> <span word="identify">identify</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="origin">origin</span>, <span word="starting">starting</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Zhoukoudian">Zhoukoudian</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="China">China</span>. <span word="Foreign">Foreign</span> <span word="academic">academic</span> <span word="circles">circles</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="praised">praised</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="moving">moving</span> <span word="discovery">discovery</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="history">history</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="research">research</span>. <span word="However">However</span>, <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Anti">Anti</span> <span word="Japanese">Japanese</span> <span word="War">War</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="skull">skull</span> <span word="fossils">fossils</span> <span word="of">of</span> "<span word="Beijingers">Beijingers</span>" <span word="disappeared">disappeared</span> <span word="mysteriously">mysteriously</span>. <span word="Today">Today</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="whereabouts">whereabouts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="treasure">treasure</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mystery">mystery</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="front">front</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="us">us</span>.</p><p>其实，“北京人”头盖骨化石最初一直是存放在美资北京协和医院底层的保险柜里，供瑞典人类学家魏敦瑞做学术研究之用的。1937年抗日战争爆发后，日本人占领了北京，只是由于协和医院悬挂了美国国旗，日本人才未闯进去掠夺“北京人”头盖骨化石。1941年“珍珠港事件”前夕，日美关系出现恶化，为了确保这些珍贵的文物不会落入到侵略者手中，魏敦瑞建议将“北京人”头盖骨化石转移到美国保存。同年11月初，在获得了当时中国政府允许出境的批示后，魏敦瑞等人将国宝送到了美国驻北平使馆，并委托美国海军陆战队护送到纽约自然历史博物馆暂存避险。12月5日，装有“北京人”头盖骨化石的专列开往秦皇岛，准备于12月8日搭乘美国邮船“哈里逊总统”号。然而就在12月8日凌晨，日军突袭“珍珠港”，日本对美国不宣而战，而当天开往秦皇岛的运送“北京人”头盖骨化石的美国海军陆战队专列也被日军截住，“哈里逊总统”号因此未能赶到接应。从此，举世瞩目的“北京人”头盖骨化石便神秘地失踪了。</p>
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