Palaeoanthropology Collection (page 6)

Boxgrove excavation site
A view of the archaeological excavation site at Boxgrove, West Sussex, UK. The site yielded a very significant fossil find, a tibia and incisors believe to have belonged to a 500

Mummified foot resting on DNA autoradiograms
Mummys foot. Close-up of the foot of an Egyptian mummy on autoradiograms. The autoradiograms are X- ray prints made from DNA extracted from the foot

Early humans using weapons. Coloured artwork of early humans using weapons to defend themselves against attacks by animals

Mummified hand. Coloured angiogram of an embalmed hand, showing the preserved and intact blood vessels. An angiogram is produced by taking an X- ray of tissue containing blood vessels filled with a

Preserved body of the Pazyryk Ice Maiden
Ice Maiden. Preserved skull of the Pazyryk " Ice Maiden", a young woman found frozen in ice on the Ukok plain in the Altai mountains of central Asia

Homo georgicus. Artists impression of the skull, head and face of H. Georgicus. This hominid lived during the Pleistocene era

Australopithecus reconstruction. Head and neck of the early hominid (Australopithecus, from 4-2 million years ago), as reconstructed by Dart in 1926

Australopithecus and gorilla brains. Historical artwork comparing the brain sizes of an early hominid (Australopithecus, from 4-2 million years ago) and a gorilla (brains seen from behind)

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

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

Fossilised skeleton of Homo erectus boy from Kenya
Homo erectus skeleton. View of a fossilised skeleton of an early human (Homo erectus). Despite being less than 12 years old, this boy was already 168 cm in height

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

Peruvian mummy
Mummy in a desert. Mummies such as this are found in several sites in the arid highlands of southern Peru, preserved by the extreme dryness. Many still retain their skin and hair

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"

Mummified skull and hair resting on ropes. Mummies such as this are found in several sites in the arid highlands of southern Peru, preserved by the extreme dryness

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)

Fossilised hominid footprints from Laetoli

Taung skull
The original type specimen of Australopithecus africanus, known also as the Taung specimen, discovered in 1924 at a lime quarry near Taung in South Africa

View of the skeleton of a neanderthal

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

Models of Homo erectus men
Homo erectus men. Models of Homo erectus men, an early type of human, one of whom is examining his wounded knee. Homo erectus, or erect man

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

Preparing neanderthal bones for DNA extraction
MODEL RELEASED. Neanderthal genetics. Technician prepares a sample of bone from a fossil of a neanderthal human, Homo sapiens neanderthalis, for an analysis of its DNA genetic material

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

Model of a neanderthal burial scene

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

Homo georgicus family eating meat. This illustration depcits a hominid family which lived during the Pleistocene era. Its remains were found in 1999

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

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

Model of an early hominid (Australopithecus sp. )
Australopithecus anamensis. Model of an early female hominid, Australopithecus anamensis. While A. anamensis had an ape-like jaw and brain

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

Australopithecus afarensis skull, computer artwork. Compared to the modern human skull the skull of A. afarensis had a more prominent brow ridge, a broader, flatter nose

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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.