Dissection
Human dissections were carried out by the Greek physicians Herophilus of Chalcedon and Erasistratus of Chios in the early part of the third century BC. During this period, the first exploration into full human anatomy was performed rather than a base knowledge gained from 'problem-solution' delving. While there was a deep taboo in Greek culture concerning human dissection, there was at the time a strong push by the Ptolemaic government to build Alexandria into a hub of scientific study. For a time, Roman law forbade dissection and autopsy of the human body, so physicians had to use other cadavers. Galen, for example, dissected the Barbary macaque and other primates, assuming their anatomy was basically the same as that of humans.
Homo erectus
Most of the spectacular discoveries of "H. erectus" next took place at the Zhoukoudian Project, now known as the "Peking Man" site, in Zhoukoudian, China. This site was first discovered by Johan Gunnar Andersson in 1921 and was first excavated in 1921, and produced two human teeth.
Davidson Black's initial description (1921) of a lower molar as belonging to a previously unknown species (which he named "Sinanthropus pekinensis") prompted widely publicized interest. Extensive excavations followed, which altogether uncovered 200 human fossils from more than 40 individuals including five nearly complete skullcaps.
Franz Weidenreich provided much of the detailed description of this material in several monographs published in the journal "Palaeontologica Sinica" (Series D).