Palaeolithic Collection (#8)

Neanderthal fossil skull La Ferrassie 1 C016 / 0566
Neanderthal fossil skull La Ferrassie 1. This specimen, from an elderly male, dates from around 70, 000 years ago. It was discovered in the Dordogne region in southern France in 1909

Stone Age spatula, Magdalenian culture. This carved prehistoric object is thought to be a spatula, though the attribution is uncertain

Palaeolithic dancing, artwork C016 / 8303
Palaeolithic dancing. Artwork of humans in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe dancing to sea-shell rattles. Teeth and bones are being used in necklaces and leg ornaments

Palaeolithic stone tool use, artwork C016 / 8301
Palaeolithic stone tool use. Artwork of a human in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe using a stone tool to break open a pine cone for its edible seeds (kernels)

Palaeolithic cave dwellers, artwork C016 / 8300
Palaeolithic cave dwellers. Artwork of a hunter in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe carrying a spear and being greeted by a boy on his return to a cave. Mammoth tusks are at left

Palaeolithic drumming, artwork C016 / 8298
Palaeolithic drumming. Artwork of humans in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe using a dead branch and hollow log to produce a drumming noise, an early form of music

Palaeolithic plant gathering, artwork C016 / 8299
Palaeolithic plant gathering. Artwork of humans in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe, with a woman gathering flowering plants, and a man gathering wood for a fire

Palaeolithic human culture, artwork C016 / 8287
Palaeolithic human culture. Artwork of humans living in social and family groups in a cave in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe

Palaeolithic food gathering, artwork C016 / 8286
Palaeolithic food gathering. Artwork of humans gathering, scavenging and looking for food in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe

Palaeolithic humans and bears, artwork C016 / 8284
Palaeolithic humans and bears. Artwork of humans using fire to scare a prehistoric species of bear from a cave in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe

Palaeolithic human culture, artwork C016 / 8280
Palaeolithic human culture. Artwork of humans living in and around a cave in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe. Activities shown include dancing, hunting, playing, gathering food, and tending a fire

Palaeolithic elephant hunting, artwork C016 / 8283
Palaeolithic elephant hunting. Artwork of humans hunting a prehistoric species of elephant in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe

Palaeolithic goat hunting, artwork C016 / 8282
Palaeolithic goat hunting, artwork. Artwork of humans hunting mountain goats in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe. The goat is pushed off a cliff (upper left) and then cut up for its meat, skin

Palaeolithic horse hunting, artwork C016 / 8281
Palaeolithic horse hunting. Artwork of humans hunting horses in palaeolithic (Stone Age) Europe. Horses would later be tamed by humans, but were also hunted for their meat, skin, sinews and bones

Paranthropus robustus and leopard jaw C015 / 6933
Paranthropus robustus skull (SK-54) and leopard jaw (SK-349). These fossils date from around 1.5 million years ago. SK-54 is the skull-cap from a child australopithecine, found in 1949 in Swartkrans

Paranthropus aethiopicus (KNM-WT 17000) C015 / 6932
Paranthropus aethiopicus skull (KNM-WT 17000). This extinct species, a very early part of the human evolutionary tree, is also known as Australopithecus aethiopicus

Homo rudolfensis skull (KNM-ER 1470) C015 / 6930
Homo rudolfensis skull (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 ergaster skull (KNM-ER 3733) C015 / 6927
Homo ergaster skull (KNM-ER 3733). This fossil specimen dates from around 1.8 million years ago, and was discovered in 1975 in Koobi Fora, on the eastern shore of Lake Turkana, Kenya

Homo ergaster skull (SK-847 and SK-15) C015 / 6928
Homo ergaster skull. This skull consists of two fossils: SK-847 (main) and SK-15 (lower jaw). The fossils are those of an extinct species that forms an early part of the human evolutionary tree

Homo heidelbergensis skull, Broken Hill 1 C015 / 6924
Homo heidelbergensis skull. This is the Broken Hill 1 (Kabwe 1) fossil skull, originally classified as Homo rhodesiensis (Rhodesian Man)

Homo heidelbergensis vertebra C015 / 6799
Homo heidelbergensis vertebra. This fossil vertebra was excavated from the Sima de los Huesos pit in the Atapuerca foothills in Spain

Australopithecus africanus skull (STS-71) C015 / 6798
Australopithecus africanus skull. This skull consists of two fossils: STS-71 and STS-36. STS-71 is the upper specimen, discovered in 1947, in Sterkfontein, South Africa

Prehistoric bear jaws C015 / 6762
Prehistoric bear jaws. These fossil jaw bones are from an extinct bear species (Ursus dolinensis). They were found in 1991

Prehistoric cave bear skull C015 / 6763
Prehistoric cave bear skull. This fossil skull is from the extinct cave bear (Ursus spelaeus). This cave bear lived in Europe during the Pleistocene, from around 250, 000 to 27, 500 years ago

Prehistoric jaguar jaw bone C015 / 6761
Prehistoric jaguar jaw bone. This fossil jaw bone is from the extinct European jaguar (Panthera gombaszoegensis). It was found in 1990 at the TD-4 level in the Gran Dolina cave in the Sierra de

Prehistoric bison skull C015 / 6760
Prehistoric bison skull. The two European bison species, both hunted by prehistoric humans, are the European bison (Bison bonasus) and the extinct steppe bison (Bison priscus)

Prehistoric rib bone C015 / 6754
Prehistoric rib bone. This rib bone was found at the TD-6 level in the Gran Dolina cave in the Sierra de Atapuerca foothills near Burgos, Spain

Prehistoric carved horse C015 / 6733
Prehistoric carved horse. Such carvings were made in ivory and bone by prehistoric peoples. The earliest such carvings date to around 30, 000 years ago

Prehistoric carved lion, Vogelherd Cave C015 / 6731
Prehistoric carved lion. Prehistoric carving in mammoth ivory of a lion. Some have identified the animal as a hippopotamus, hyena or rhinoceros

Homo habilis upper jaw (OH 65) C015 / 6686
Homo habilis upper jaw (maxilla) and teeth. This fossil specimen (named OH 65) was found in 1995 at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. It dates to around 1.8 million years ago

Homo habilis upper jaw (OH 65) C015 / 6684
Homo habilis upper jaw (maxilla) and teeth. This fossil specimen (named OH 65) was found in 1995 at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. It dates to around 1.8 million years ago

Homo habilis upper jaw (OH 65) C015 / 6685
Homo habilis upper jaw (maxilla) and teeth. This fossil specimen (named OH 65) was found in 1995 at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. It dates to around 1.8 million years ago

Homo habilis upper jaw (OH 65) C015 / 6666
Homo habilis upper jaw (maxilla) and teeth. This fossil specimen (named OH 65) was found in 1995 at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. It dates to around 1.8 million years ago

Neanderthal tooth C015 / 6610
Neanderthal tooth. Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) inhabited Europe and western Asia between 230, 000 and 29, 000 years ago

Neanderthal tooth C015 / 6643
Neanderthal tooth. Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) inhabited Europe and western Asia between 230, 000 and 29, 000 years ago

Homo heidelbergensis arthritic jaw C015 / 6562
Homo heidelbergensis arthritic jaw. Close-up of the condyloid process of the lower jaw (mandible) from fossilised remains of Homo heidelbergensis

Homo heidelbergensis lower jaw C015 / 6561
Homo heidelbergensis lower jaw (mandible) and teeth. This fossil specimen is from the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

Homo heidelbergensis lower jaw C015 / 6560
Homo heidelbergensis lower jaw (mandible) and teeth. This fossil specimen is from the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

Homo heidelbergensis lower jaw C015 / 6559
Homo heidelbergensis lower jaw (mandible) and teeth. This fossil specimen is from the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

Homo heidelbergensis tooth C015 / 6549
Homo heidelbergensis tooth. This fossil specimen is from the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Homo heidelbergensis tooth C015 / 6550
Homo heidelbergensis tooth. This tooth shows marks (grooves near the gum line) left by the use of tooth picks. This fossil specimen is from the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

Homo heidelbergensis tooth C015 / 6548
Homo heidelbergensis tooth. This fossil specimen is from the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Homo heidelbergensis tooth C015 / 6547
Homo heidelbergensis tooth. This tooth shows marks (grooves near the gum line) left by the use of tooth picks. This fossil specimen is from the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

Homo heidelbergensis teeth C015 / 6544
Homo heidelbergensis teeth. These incisor teeth are worn down with age and the effect of diet. This fossil specimen is from the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

Homo heidelbergensis teeth C015 / 6545
Homo heidelbergensis teeth. These molar teeth are worn down with age and the effect of diet. This fossil specimen is from the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

Homo heidelbergensis teeth C015 / 6546
Homo heidelbergensis teeth. These tooth show marks (grooves near the gum line) left by the use of tooth picks. This fossil specimen is from the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

Homo heidelbergensis tooth C015 / 6542
Homo heidelbergensis tooth. This tooth has striations on its enamel left by the use of stone tools. The directions of the striations indicate that right-handedness was dominant as long as 500

Homo heidelbergensis tooth C015 / 6543
Homo heidelbergensis tooth. This fossil specimen is from the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

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"Unveiling the Mysteries of Palaeolithic: Journey into the Ancient World" Step back in time and explore the captivating world of Palaeolithic, a period that dates back thousands of years. From intricate cave paintings to enigmatic figurines, this era has left behind an extraordinary legacy for us to unravel. One remarkable site is Lascaux II, where a replica of its famous cave painting transports us to a time when early humans expressed their creativity on stone walls. These Stone-Age cave paintings found in Chauvet, France offer glimpses into their daily lives and spiritual beliefs. Speaking of Chauvet, it seems this region was truly an artistic hub during the Stone Age. The abundance and diversity of these ancient artworks continue to astound researchers today. Each stroke tells a story - stories that have survived centuries. But Palaeolithic isn't just about art; it's also about fascinating creatures that once roamed our planet. Take the Siberian unicorn or Elasmotherium sibiricum as an example – an awe-inspiring creature captured in illustrations from 1908. Such discoveries remind us how diverse life on Earth used to be. The Venus figurines are another intriguing aspect of this era. Whether it's the Venus of Brassempouy or the iconic Venus of Willendorf, these Stone Age masterpieces provide insights into human perceptions of beauty and fertility at that time. And let's not forget our ancestors. Homo rudolfensis (KNM-ER 1470) and Homo habilis (KNM-ER 1813) represent important milestones in human evolution during Palaeolithic times. Their remains shed light on our own origins and how we became who we are today. Lastly, there are carvings like those from Magdalenian culture – intricate works etched onto stone surfaces with precision and skill. These carvings serve as evidence for sophisticated craftsmanship and the cultural significance of art in Palaeolithic societies.