Anthropological Collection (#20)

Homo rudolfensis. Artists impression of the skull and face of the tool-using hominid H. rudolfensis. It is sometimes classified as Homo habilis (meaning " handy man" )

Paranthropus boisei skull
Skull of Paranthropus boisei, formerly called Zinjanthropus boisei then Australopithecus boisei. P. boisei was an early hominid, estimated to have lived 2.6-1.2 million years ago

Australopithecus boisei skull, computer artwork. Australopithecus boisei was a hominid that lived in Africa between about 2.3 to 1.3 million years ago

Homo heidelbergensis male, artists impression. H. heidelbergensis lived between 600, 000 and 250, 000 years ago in the Pleistocene era

Endocranial casts of Australopithecus. An endocranial cast is a cast of the inside of the skull, which can form naturally when sediments fill an empty skull

Prehistoric rock petroglyph depicting a pregnant elk. This carving is part of a group of petroglyphs in the Alta Fjord, in Norway, near the Arctic Circle

Levallois stone tools. Hand holding a rock hammer to demonstrate the creation of Levallois stone tools. Levallois was a technique that was first used in the lower palaeolithic (stone age)

Prehistoric humans and animals
Prehistoric humans and mammals, historical artwork. The mammals at upper left are a woolly mammoth, a large deer and a woolly rhinoceros. At lower left are a bear, a horse and wolves

Skulls of Tuang child and a chimpanzee
Tuang child (Australopithecus africanus) and chimpanzee skulls. The Tuang child fossil (left) was discovered in 1924 in Tuang, South Africa. The child, an example of A

Group of hominids, computer artwork
Group of hominids. Artwork of a group of hominids gathering in a clearing. Early hominid species such as Australopithecus sp. were upright walking ape-like creatures

Cave paintings, Mexico
Cave paintings, Baja California, Mexico. These paintings are found in the caves and overhangs of remote mountains. They are believed to be 5

Hawaiian petroglyph depicting humans with triangular torsos. Photographed in the Waikoloa Village, Hawaii, USA

Australopithecus robustus skull
Skull of Australopithecus robustus, front view. A. robustus was a bipedal hominin (human-like primate) that lived in Africa between 2.6

Paranthropus robustus. Artists impression of the skull and face of the early hominid Paranthropus robustus. P. robustus means " robust equal of man"

Altamira cave painting of a bison
Cave painting of a bison in the Altamira cave, Spain. This cave contains several paintings of bisons, horses, deer and other animals that inhabited the area at the time, made using ochre

Tuang child skull
Tuang child (Australopithecus africanus)skull. The Tuang child fossil was discovered in 1924 in Tuang, South Africa. The child, an example of A

Acheulean stone tools. Hand holding a rock hammer to demonstrate the creation of an Acheulean stone tool. Acheulean tools were first made in the lower palaeolithic (stone age)

Early human making fire. Coloured artwork of a method of making fire being used by an early human. This method involves rubbing two pieces of dry wood together

Eves footprints. Cast of fossilised footprints made by an early modern human (Homo sapiens) about 117, 000 years ago. The prints were formed in wet sand by a small person

Skull bones of Homo habilis
Homo habilis skull bones. These parietal (cranial) bones and mandible (jaw bone) were found in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania in 1960

Early humans making fire. Coloured artwork of a method of making fire being used by early humans. This method involves rotating the pointed end of a stick in a dry piece of wood

Prehistoric humans hunting, artwork
Prehistoric humans hunting. Computer artwork of three prehistoric humans hunting a herd of buffalo or bison

Skulls of A. africanus and a chimpanzee
Skulls of Australopithecus africanus and a chimpanzee. A. africanus (right) was a bipedal ape living in Africa 3-2 million years ago

Neanderthal man (Homo neanderthalensis), artwork. Neanderthals were relatives of humans that inhabited Europe and western Asia between around 230, 000 and 29, 000 years ago

Neanderthal skull
Skull of Neanderthal, Homo neanderthalensis. Neanderthals were relatives of humans that inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia between about 300, 000 and 24, 000 years ago

Homo ergaster behaviour, artists impression. H. ergaster is traditionally considered an early type of H. erectus by scientists. However, there are differences between the early populations of H

Human ancestor, computer artwork
Human ancestor. Computer artwork of an upright walking hominid carrying a spear for hunting

Kenyanthropus platyops. Artists impression of the skull and face of of Kenyanthropus platyops. The remains of this hominid were found in 1999 at Lake Turkana

Mammoth bone musical instruments
Prehistoric carved mammoth bone musical instruments. Dating from around 20, 000 years ago, during the Stone Age, these carvings are believed to have been used by early Man to produce sound

Modern man and woman, artwork. Modern humans (homo sapiens sapiens) are characterised by the lighter build of their skeletons compared to earlier humans

Modern man. Model of a Homo sapien man. Modern humans are characterised by the lighter build of their skeletons compared to earlier humans

Male hominid, computer artwork
Male hominid. Computer artwork of a male hominid. Prehistoric ape-like creatures such as Australopithecus sp. were able to walk on two legs with a fully upright posture

Stone Age rock carving. Rock carvings (petroglyphs) are found in many regions of the world. They are among the oldest human artefacts still existing

Early human, artwork
Early human. Computer artwork of the head of an early human. Ancestral human species, now extinct, include Homo habilis and Homo erectus

Saharan rock art
Saharan rock painting. Rock art depicting human figures, one of which is sitting on a horse, surrounded by a herd of horned animals

Early human warfare. Coloured artwork of early humans fighting each other in the Stone Age using wooden clubs and bows and arrows. This battle is taking place in and around a fortified position

Australopithecus africanus. Artists impression of the skull, facial muscle structure and face of an Australopithecus africanus hominid. A

Mammoth bone carvings, found on the banks of the river Angara, Siberia, Russia. They depict human figures. Mammoths are an elephant-like mammal which inhabited northern regions of the world

Hawaiian petroglyphs in a lava tube. Photographed in, Hawaii, USA

Fossilised frontal bone, Gran Dolina
Fossilised frontal bone from a childs skull. Fragments of a 12-year-old childs cranial bone being pieced together by a palaeontologist

Homo heidelbergensis female, artists impression. H. heidelbergensis lived between 600, 000 and 250, 000 years ago in the Pleistocene era

Paranthropus aethiopicus skull and head
Paranthropus aethiopicus, skull and head. The remains of this hominid were discovered in 1985 at West Turkana in Kenya, Africa. P. aethiopicus lived from 2.5 to 2.7 million years ago (Pilocene era)

Gorham Cave, Gibraltar. This cave was the site of major archaeological excavations between 1995 and 2002. The findings were compared with those from nearby caves

Iron age village, computer artwork. The iron age is the last of the recognised prehistoric periods of human development, after the stone and bronze ages

Mammoth bone hut. Archaeologists inside a reconstruction of a hut made from bones and tusks of the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius)

Iron age village, aerial view, computer artwork. This village contains two large huts and an enclosure of livestock, all protected by a fence

Early use of fire. Historical artwork of early humans gathered around a fire. There is evidence for the controlled use of fire over one million years ago

Homo antecessor. Artists impression of the skull, head and face of an adult male Homo antecessor. The remains of this hominid were discovered in level TD6 of the Gran Dolina archaeological sites in

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"Unveiling the Secrets of our Ancestors: Exploring Anthropological Treasures" Step into the captivating world of anthropology as we embark on a journey through time. From the mesmerizing Lascaux II cave painting replica to the enigmatic Stone-age cave paintings in Chauvet, France, these ancient artworks offer us a glimpse into humanity's past. Delve deeper and encounter the Cave of Hands in Argentina, where handprints left by our ancestors thousands of years ago continue to intrigue and mystify. These imprints serve as a testament to their existence and leave us pondering about their lives. As we shift our focus from art to anatomy, hominid crania take center stage. The Australopithecus afarensis (AL 288-1), fondly known as Lucy, stands tall among her counterparts. Her fossilized remains provide valuable insights into early human evolution and ignite curiosity about our own origins. But it doesn't stop there; prehistoric tools like spear-throwers remind us of our ancestors' resourcefulness and ingenuity. These artifacts shed light on how they survived and thrived in challenging environments. And let's not forget the Laetoli fossil footprints that tell an extraordinary story etched in volcanic ash. Preserved for millions of years, these footprints capture moments frozen in time – evidence of bipedal locomotion long before modern humans roamed the Earth. Returning once again to Chauvet, France, stone-age cave paintings continue to captivate with their intricate details and symbolic representations. Each stroke carries whispers from those who came before us – messages waiting patiently for interpretation. Finally, we encounter the Venus of Brassempouy – an exquisite ivory figurine representing fertility or perhaps even spirituality. This timeless masterpiece reminds us that throughout history, humans have sought meaning beyond survival alone. Anthropology unravels stories hidden within these remarkable artifacts – stories of resilience, creativity, and the unending quest for knowledge.