Palaeoanthropology Collection (#4)

Siega Verde petroglyph C015 / 6438
Siega Verde petroglyph. Prehistoric rock carving (petroglyph) of a horse. This carving is part of the collection of petroglyphs at the Siega Verde site, in the province of Salamanca, Spain

Siega Verde petroglyph C015 / 6437
Siega Verde petroglyph. Prehistoric rock carving (petroglyph) of a horse. This carving is part of the collection of petroglyphs at the Siega Verde site, in the province of Salamanca, Spain

Oldowan stone tool C015 / 6435
Oldowan stone tool. Prehistoric stone tool being held in a hand. This stone tool is from the Oldowan stone tool industry, or Mode I, an early and primitive form of stone tool

Oldowan stone tool C015 / 6434
Oldowan stone tool. Prehistoric stone tool being held in a hand. This stone tool is from the Oldowan stone tool industry, or Mode I, an early and primitive form of stone tool

Mousterian stone tool C015 / 6436
Mousterian stone tool. Prehistoric stone tool being held in a hand. This stone tool is from the Mousterian stone tool industry, or Mode III. The name comes from the site of Le Moustier in France

Olduvai biface stone tool C015 / 6433
Olduvai biface stone tool (hand axe). Prehistoric hand axe stone tool being held in a hand. This stone tool was discovered at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

Olduvai biface stone tool C015 / 6432
Olduvai biface stone tool (hand axe). Silhouette of a prehistoric hand axe stone tool against the setting Sun. This stone tool was discovered at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania C015 / 6430
Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. This gorge (also called Oldupai Gorge) is famous for the fossils discovered here of extinct hominins that form part of the human evolutionary tree

Olduvai Gorge basalt, Tanzania C015 / 6428
Olduvai Gorge basalt. Basalt stones at the Olduvai River in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. This gorge (also called Oldupai Gorge)

Msai camp, Tanzania C015 / 6426
Msai camp, Tanzania. The Msai are a semi-nomadic people of Kenya and northern Tanzania, who move from place to place to find water and grazing for their cattle

Homo antecessor landscape. Artwork of a Homo antecessor hunter (lower right) on a prehistoric European river plain during the Pleistocene. H

Australopithecus afarensis landscape. Artwork of Australopithecus afarensis male and female hominins (left) walking across African savannah during the Pliocene. A

Neanderthal man, artwork C016 / 5789
Neanderthal man, artwork. Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) inhabited Europe and western Asia between 230, 000 and 29, 000 years ago

Neanderthal woman, artwork C016 / 5790
Neanderthal woman, artwork. Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) inhabited Europe and western Asia between 230, 000 and 29, 000 years ago

Prehistoric human skull bones C016 / 5496
Prehistoric human skull bones. These fossil remains are from modern humans (Homo sapiens) and date from up to 12, 000 years ago

Neanderthal cranium (Gibraltar 1) C016 / 5324
Neanderthal cranium (Gibraltar 1). Oblique view of a cast of the fossil of the adult female Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) cranium discovered at Forbes Quarry, Gibraltar

Neanderthal cranium (Gibraltar 1) C016 / 5323
Neanderthal cranium (Gibraltar 1). Frontal view of a cast of the fossil of the adult female Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) cranium discovered at Forbes Quarry, Gibraltar

Homo neanderthalensis (Tabun C1) C016 / 5325
Homo neanderthalensis (Tabun C1). Model of a Neanderthal female holding a spear, based on a fossil skeleton called Tabun C1

Homo neanderthalensis (Tabun C1) C016 / 5309
Homo neanderthalensis (Tabun C1). Model of a Neanderthal female holding a spear, based on a fossil skeleton called Tabun C1

Carved artefacts, Upper Palaeolithic C016 / 5307
Carved artefacts, Upper Palaeolithic. These prehistoric artefacts dates from 11, 000 to 18, 000 years ago. At top is a mammoth tusk carved to depict a reindeer (head at left)

Neanderthal cranium (Neanderthal 1) C016 / 5306
Neanderthal cranium (Neanderthal 1). Cast of the fossil cranium of Neanderthal 1, the original Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis)

Homo habilis cranium (OH 24) C016 / 5252
Homo habilis cranium (OH 24). Cast of a reconstructed cranium from Bed 1, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. This specimen, Olduvai Hominid 24 (OH 24), is also known as Twiggy

Homo heidelbergensis mandible (Mauer 1) C016 / 5208
Homo heidelbergensis mandible (Mauer 1). Cast of the fossil mandible from the Homo heidelbergensis specimen discovered by workmen in 1907 at Mauer, Germany

Homo neanderthalensis cranium (Tabun 1) C016 / 5201
Homo neanderthalensis cranium (Tabun 1). Side view of a cast of a fossil skull of a female Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis)

Homo sapiens cranium (Omo 1) C016 / 5174
Homo sapiens cranium (Omo 1). Side view of a reconstruction of the fossil Homo sapiens skull known as Omo 1 and discovered in 1967 by a team led by Richard Leakey

Homo sapiens cranium (Omo 1) C016 / 5173
Homo sapiens cranium (Omo 1). Frontal view of a reconstruction of the fossil Homo sapiens skull known as Omo 1 and discovered in 1967 by a team led by Richard Leakey

Homo sapiens cranium (Omo 2) C016 / 5169
Homo sapiens cranium (Omo 2). Side view of a cast of a fossil Homo sapiens cranium dating from 130, 000 years ago. Known as Omo 2, it was discovered in 1967 at the Omo River

Homo sapiens cranium (Omo 2) C016 / 5167
Homo sapiens cranium (Omo 2). Oblique view of a cast of a fossil Homo sapiens cranium dating from 130, 000 years ago. Known as Omo 2, it was discovered in 1967 at the Omo River

Homo sapiens cranium (Omo 2) C016 / 5166
Homo sapiens cranium (Omo 2). Frontal view of a cast of a fossil Homo sapiens cranium dating from 130, 000 years ago. Known as Omo 2, it was discovered in 1967 at the Omo River

Homo sapiens cranium (LH 18) C016 / 5164
Homo sapiens cranium (LH 18). Side view of a cast of a fossil Homo sapiens cranium known as Laetoli Hominid 18 (LH 18). Dating back 150, 000 years ago

Homo sapiens cranium (LH 18) C016 / 5165
Homo sapiens cranium (LH 18). Frontal view of a cast of a fossil Homo sapiens cranium known as Laetoli Hominid 18 (LH 18)

Hominid fossil collection C016 / 5104
Hominid fossil collection. Selection of items, including casts of fossil hominid skulls, from the anthropological collection at the Natural History Museum, London, UK

Paranthropus robustus cranium (SK46) C016 / 5100
Paranthropus robustus cranium (SK46). Lateral view of a cast of a fossil of part of the cranium of an adult Paranthropus robustus hominid. This specimen was probably female

Taung Child skull (Taung 1) C016 / 5102
Taung Child skull (Taung 1). Side view of a cast of a fossil skull of an Australopithecus africanus child from Taung, South Africa. A

Paranthropus robustus cranium (SK46) C016 / 5099
Paranthropus robustus cranium (SK46). Frontal view of a cast of a fossil of part of the cranium of an adult Paranthropus robustus hominid. This specimen was probably female

Taung Child skull (Taung 1) C016 / 5103
Taung Child skull (Taung 1). Oblique view of a cast of a fossil skull of an Australopithecus africanus child from Taung, South Africa. A

Homo erectus skull-cap (Trinil 2) C016 / 5097
Homo erectus skull-cap (Trinil 2). Cast of the skull-cap from the cranium of the Trinil 2 specimen of Homo erectus, discovered at Trinil near the River Solo, Java, Indonesia by Eugene Dubois in 1891

Homo sapiens skull (Skhul V) C016 / 5098
Homo sapiens skull (Skhul V). Cast of the Skhul V specimen of Homo sapiens, discovered in 1932 on Mount Carmel, Israel. The original specimen is held at Harvards Peabody Museum

Homo erectus cranium (OH 9) C016 / 5096
Homo erectus cranium (OH 9). The cranium (filled in cast) of the OH 9 specimen of Homo erectus. OH 9 was found at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, by Louis Leakey in 1960

Homo ergaster cranium (KNM-ER 3733) C016 / 5095
Homo ergaster skull (KNM-ER 3733). This cast is of a fossil specimen that dates from around 1.8 million years ago, and was discovered in 1975 by Bernard Ngeneo, in Koobi Fora

Homo ergaster cranium (KNM-ER 3733) C016 / 5094
Homo ergaster skull (KNM-ER 3733). This cast is of a fossil specimen that dates from around 1.8 million years ago, and was discovered in 1975 by Bernard Ngeneo, in Koobi Fora

Homo habilis cranium (KNM-ER 1813) C016 / 5091
Homo habilis cranium (KNM-ER 1813). This cast is of a relatively complete fossil skull named KNM-ER 1813. It was found in Koobi Fora, Kenya in 1973 by Kamoya Kimeu

Homo ergaster cranium (KNM-ER 3733) C016 / 5093
Homo ergaster skull (KNM-ER 3733). This cast is of a fossil specimen that dates from around 1.8 million years ago, and was discovered in 1975 by Bernard Ngeneo, in Koobi Fora

Homo habilis cranium (KNM-ER 1813) C016 / 5092
Homo habilis cranium (KNM-ER 1813). This cast is of a relatively complete fossil skull named KNM-ER 1813. It was found in Koobi Fora, Kenya in 1973 by Kamoya Kimeu

Homo rudolfensis cranium (KNM-ER 1470) C016 / 5088
Homo rudolfensis cranium (KNM-ER 1470). This fossil specimen dates from around 1.9 million years ago, and was discovered in 1972 in Koobi Fora, on the eastern shore of Lake Turkana, Kenya

Homo habilis cranium (KNM-ER 1813) C016 / 5090
Homo habilis cranium (KNM-ER 1813). This cast is of a relatively complete fossil skull named KNM-ER 1813. It was found in Koobi Fora, Kenya in 1973 by Kamoya Kimeu

Homo sapiens skull (Qafzeh 11) C016 / 5081
Homo sapiens skull (Qafzeh 11). Cast and reconstruction of the fossil cranium and mandible of the Qafzeh 11 child. Found by Bernard Vandermeersch in 1971, in the Qafzeh cave site in Nazareth, Israel

Homo sapiens skull (Qafzeh 11) C016 / 5080
Homo sapiens skull (Qafzeh 11). Cast and reconstruction of the fossil cranium and mandible of the Qafzeh 11 child. Found by Bernard Vandermeersch in 1971, in the Qafzeh cave site in Nazareth, Israel

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Palaeoanthropology unravels the mysteries of our ancient past, piecing together the puzzle of human evolution. From the intricate Lascaux II cave painting replica C013/7378 to the Trail of Laetoli footprints, every artifact tells a story. Step by step, we explore the stages in human evolution. A glimpse into history reveals a female Australopithecus africanus, standing tall amidst her primitive surroundings. Primate skulls offer insights into our ancestors' cranial structure and brain development. Intriguingly, a scimitar cat attacking a hominid reminds us of the challenges faced by early humans in their struggle for survival. Artwork depicting these stages in human evolution serves as a visual timeline connecting us to our roots. The footprints and skeleton of Lucy provide an intimate encounter with one of our earliest known ancestors - an Australopithecus afarensis who walked this Earth over 3 million years ago. Model replicas bring Homo heidelbergensis back to life, allowing us to marvel at their physical features and speculate about their way of life. Australopithecus boisei stands out with its robust skull and powerful jaw muscles adapted for chewing tough vegetation. Meanwhile, Homo erectus emerges on stage - Java Man cranium (Sangiran 17) cast showcases their distinct facial characteristics that set them apart from earlier hominids. Palaeoanthropology invites us on an extraordinary journey through time as we uncover humanity's origins, and is through these artifacts and discoveries that we gain deeper insight into who we are today – creatures shaped by millions of years of evolutionary progress.