Homo heidelbergensis skull, Broken Hill 1 "Rhodesian Man" (125,000 to possibly 400,000 years).
The Homo heidelbergensis skull Broken Hill 1 (Rhodesian Man) was discovered in Kabwe, Zambia (formerly Rhodesia), by miner T. Zwigelaar and originally described by A. Woodward in 1921 in Nature as Rhodesian Man (H. rhodesiensis).
This is the first human ancestor to be found in Africa.
Once considered to be only 40,000 years old, which would make it a contemporary of Homo sapiens in Europe, the skull was pointed to by some as evidence of the "primitiveness" of Africans.
Subsequent evidence led to the more correct dating of at least 125,000 YA.
The skull shares features of both Homo erectus (heavy browridge) and Homo sapiens (flatter face, large brain (1300cm3).
Notes:
- A stand is available by enquiry, sold separately
