Early Human Collection

Stone-age cave paintings, Chauvet, France
Stone-age cave paintings. Artwork depicting various animals painted on the wall of a cave. These paintings are found in the Chauvet Cave, France

Stone-age cave paintings, Chauvet, France
Stone-age cave paintings. Artwork of horses painted on the wall of a cave. These paintings are found in the Chauvet Cave, France, the site of the earliest known cave paintings (as of 2011)

Stone-age cave paintings, Chauvet, France
Stone-age cave paintings. Artwork depicting various animals painted on the wall of a cave. These paintings are found in the Chauvet Cave, France

Stone-age cave paintings, Chauvet, France
Stone-age cave paintings. Artwork depicting various animals painted on the wall of a cave. These paintings are found in the Chauvet Cave, France

Stone-age cave paintings, Chauvet, France
Stone-age cave paintings. Artwork of fighting rhinoceroses painted on the wall of a cave. These paintings are found in the Chauvet Cave, France

Prehistoric spear-thrower. Artwork of how a spear-thrower (or atlatl) is used to throw a feathered dart. At top and centre, the dart is loaded. At bottom, it is being thrown

Female Australopithecus africanus, artists impression. A. Africanus was a bipedal hominid that lived between 3.5 and 2 million years ago

Homo heidelbergensis. Artists impression of two male H. heidelbergensis hominids which lived between 600, 000 and 250, 000 years ago in the Pleistocene era

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

Female Homo habilis. Artists impression of a female Homo habilis holding her young and plucking fruit from a tree. H. habilis was an ancestor of modern humans that lived between around 2.1

Australopithecus boisei. Artists impression of the skull and head of an Australopithecus boisei, a hominid that lived in Africa between about 2.3 to 1.3 million years ago

Homo sp. skulls C016 / 5933
Side views of Homo erectus (Sangiran), H. heidelbergensis (Broken Hill), H. neanderthalensis, (La Ferrassie) and H. sapiens (Polynesia) skulls. Natural History Museum, London, UK

Flint hand-axe C013 / 6640
Flint hand-axe. This hand axe dates to the late Palaeolithic and was found in Farnham, Surrey, UK

Homo erectus skull. Artwork, from 1931, showing a reconstruction of the skull of Java Man, based on the fossil skull fragments (dark grey) discovered by Dubois in Java in 1891

Hominid skulls, 3D computer images
Hominid skulls. 3D computer images of Homo habilis (left) and Homo ergaster. These images were created using data from high resolution computed tomography (CT) scans of fossilised hominid skulls. H

Homo erectus cranium C013 / 6552
Cast of a Homo erectus cranium. The fossil this cast was taken from is known as Solo Man (Ngandong 1), and was found at Ngandong, close to the Solo River on the island of Java, Indonesia

Homo ergaster. Model of a male Homo ergaster. H. ergaster was a hominid that emerged about 1.9 million years ago in Africa. It is considered to be an ancestor of later Homo populations. H

Homo ergaster females and young, artists impression. The hominid H. ergaster is traditionally considered an early type of H. erectus by scientists

Modern human and Homo floresiensis
Modern human and Homo floriensis. Illustration comparing a modern human female (Homo sapiens sapiens) with a female Homo floriensis

Male and female Homo habilis, artists impression. H. habilis was an ancestor of modern humans that lived between around 2.1 and 1.6 million years ago

Homo heidelbergensis family, artwork. Also known as Heidelberg Man, these early humans are part of the genus Homo. This is the same genus as modern humans, but this species of humans went extinct

Reindeer antler from Neschers
This reindeer antler from Neschers in France is engraved with a stylised horse. It was created by early humans and found between 1830 and 1848. Date: 1830

Neolithic flint arrowheads C014 / 1033
Neolithic flint arrowheads. Stone-age flint arrowheads dating from around 8, 000 to 10, 000 years ago. These specimens were found in Mauritania, West Africa

Prehistoric cave paintings, Chauvet C016 / 0576
Prehistoric cave paintings, Chauvet, France. These cave paintings of various animals are found in the Chauvet Cave, France. This is the site of the earliest known cave paintings (as of 2011)

Homo habilis hunting, artwork C013 / 6549
Homo habilis group using tools to share a kill, artwork. H. habilis is thought to have lived approximately 2 to 1.6 million years ago in East Africa

Homo floresiensis. Artists impression of the skull, head and face of Homo floresiensis. The remains of this hominid were found in 2003 at the Liang Bua Cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia

Australopithecus africanus skeleton, artists impression. A. Africanus was a bipedal hominid that lived between 3.5 and 2 million years ago

Homo ergaster hunting group, artists impression. These hominids are shown attacking a species of saber-toothed cat (Machairdontinae) using wooden branches and a spear. H

Horse-head engraved on bone
Late Pleistocene wild horses head engraved on the right fourth metatarsal bone of a horse, specimen (NHM 38745). Found among horse remains from the Late Magdalenian site of Roc du Courbet, Bruniquel

Neolithic flint arrowheads C014 / 1034
Neolithic flint arrowheads. Stone-age flint arrowheads dating from around 8, 000 to 10, 000 years ago. These specimens were found in Mauritania, West Africa

Neolithic flint arrowheads C014 / 1032
Neolithic flint arrowheads. Stone-age flint arrowheads dating from around 8, 000 to 10, 000 years ago. These specimens were found in Mauritania, West Africa

Stone-age flint fragments C014 / 1020
Stone-age flint fragments. Pile of neolithic (new stone-age) flint fragments discarded during the forming of flint tools. These fragments date from around 8, 000 to 10

Neolithic flint arrowheads C014 / 1030
Neolithic flint arrowheads. Stone-age flint arrowheads dating from around 8, 000 to 10, 000 years ago. These specimens were found in Mauritania, West Africa

Neolithic flint arrowhead C014 / 1023
Neolithic flint arrowhead. Stone-age flint arrowhead dating from around 8, 000 to 10, 000 years ago. This specimen was found in Mauritania, West Africa

Neolithic flint arrowhead C014 / 1022
Neolithic flint arrowhead. Stone-age flint arrowhead dating from around 8, 000 to 10, 000 years ago. This specimen was found in Mauritania, West Africa

Neolithic flint arrowhead C014 / 1025
Neolithic flint arrowhead. Stone-age flint arrowhead dating from around 8, 000 to 10, 000 years ago. This specimen was found in Mauritania, West Africa

Prehistoric human skull (Omo 1) C016 / 5937
Prehistoric human skull (Omo 1). Reconstruction of the modern human (Homo sapiens) skull discovered in 1967 by a team led by Richard Leakey

Homo sapiens skull comparison C016 / 5934
Homo sapiens skull comparison. Homo sapiens skulls from Upper Cave Zhoukoudian, China (left and middle) and Predmosti, Czech Republic (right). All three are dated from about 30, 000 years ago

Cro-magnon and Neanderthal skulls C016 / 5938
Cro-magnon and Neanderthal skull comparison. Rear view comparison of casts of a Cro-Magnon skull from Brno, Czech Republic, Upper Palaeolithic (right), and Neanderthal skull from La Chpelle, France

Extraction of fossil DNA C018 / 5400
Extraction of fossil DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Material drilled from a fossilised Homo heidelbergensis femur (thigh) bone (femur 13) found at the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca

Excavations at Sima de los Huesos, Spain C018 / 5726
Excavations at Sima de los Huesos. Prof. Juan Luis Arsuaga at the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain. Mitochondrial DNA from a Homo heidelbergensis femur (thigh) bone (femur 13)

Homo heidelbergensis thigh bone C018 / 6378
Homo heidelbergensis thigh bone. This is femur 13 found at the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain. The mitochondrial DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

Extraction of fossil DNA C018 / 5399
Extraction of fossil DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Technician drilling material from a fossilised Homo heidelbergensis femur (thigh) bone (femur 13) found at the Sima de los Huesos site

Extraction of fossil DNA C018 / 5402
Extraction of fossil DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Sample of material drilled from a fossilised Homo heidelbergensis femur (thigh) bone (femur 13) found at the Sima de los Huesos site

Extraction of fossil DNA C018 / 5410
Extraction of fossil DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Prof. Juan Luis Arsuaga in the laboratory where mitochondrial DNA from fossilised Homo heidelbergensis bone was extracted and sequenced

Excavations at Sima de los Huesos, Spain C018 / 5727
Excavations at Sima de los Huesos. Prof. Juan Luis Arsuaga examining fossils at the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

Extraction of fossil DNA C018 / 5728
Extraction of fossil DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Prof. Juan Luis Arsuaga (left) and his team with fossilised Homo heidelbergensis bones found at the Sima de los Huesos site, Sierra de Atapuerca

Extraction of fossil DNA C018 / 6377
Extraction of fossil DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Sample of material drilled from a fossilised Homo heidelbergensis femur (thigh) bone (femur 13) found at the Sima de los Huesos site

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"Unveiling the Ancient Artistry: Journey into the Early Human World" Step back in time to the Stone Age, where our ancestors left behind captivating traces of their existence. Deep within the Chauvet Cave in France, remarkable stone-age cave paintings transport us to a bygone era. These intricate depictions offer a glimpse into the lives and beliefs of early humans. Amongst these mesmerizing artworks, one can marvel at the mastery displayed in each stroke. The artists skillfully captured scenes from their daily lives, immortalizing moments that have endured for millennia. Their creations reveal an innate desire to communicate and express themselves through art. As we explore further, we discover tools that shaped their survival – prehistoric spear-throwers crafted with precision and ingenuity. These inventions revolutionized hunting techniques and allowed early humans to secure food more efficiently. Moving beyond artifacts, let's meet some of our ancient relatives who roamed this Earth long before us. A female Australopithecus africanus stands tall with her distinctive features while Homo heidelbergensis showcases its robust physique. Meanwhile, Australopithecus boisei captivates with its powerful jaw structure adapted for chewing tough vegetation. Delving deeper into human evolution reveals Homo habilis – a female representative known for her resourcefulness and tool-making abilities. Gazing upon a Homo heidelbergensis skull and face evokes wonder about how they navigated this world thousands of years ago. Finally, we encounter a Homo erectus skull - an emblematic figure representing endurance as they were among the first hominids to migrate out of Africa. These glimpses into our ancestral past remind us of our shared heritage with these early humans who paved the way for modern civilization. Through their artistry, innovations, and resilience against nature's challenges, they laid down foundations upon which humanity continues to build today.