Palaeoanthropology Collection (#7)

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

Neanderthal carving of a man with a lions head

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

Model of a neanderthal man

Mummified hand, X-ray
Mummified hand. Coloured X-ray of an embalmed hand, with a fractured finger highlighted in yellow

Model of a male Homo erectus man
Homo erectus man. Model of a male Homo erectus, an early type of human. Homo erectus, or erect man, lived between roughly 1.8-0.3 million years ago and originated in Africa

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

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

Prepared 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

The foot of an Egyptian mummy
Mummy foot. View of the foot of an ancient Egyptian mummy. Mummies are the embalmed and preserved remains of ancient Egyptians, who lived between 5000 and 2500 years ago

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

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

Reconstruction of the face of the Ice Maiden

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

Taung Child skull. Artwork, from 1931, showing the appearance and size (scale in millimetres) of the fossil skull discovered by Dart in Taung, South Africa, in 1924

Early human skulls. Artwork of skulls of various human species, taken from Bilder Atlas

Stone Age skeletons and mammoth ivory. The mammoth ivory decorations are in the mouth of the skeleton in the foreground, and in the ornaments on this skeleton and the one in the background

Pazyryk mummy burial, Central Asia
Pazyryk mummy, Central Asian burial ground. The mummified body is seen at centre. The Pazyr or Pazyryk people are a nomadic people that inhabited the Ukok Plateau in the Altai Mountains of Central

Stone tool, Gran Dolina. This stone tool was formed by striking the stone to produce a continuous edge on one or both sides

Prehistoric reindeer bone tools. Assorted tools used by prehistoric man, made out of reindeer bone and antlers. Image taken from Bilder Atlas

Bear tooth, Sima de los Huesos. Tooth from the now extinct Deningeris bear (Ursus deningeri) found next to human fossils at Sima de los Huesos (Pit of Bones)

Animal tooth, Gran Dolina. Tooth from a sabre- toothed tiger (Smilodon sp.), found in level TD10 (upper levels) of the Gran Dolina site

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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.