Interest in events taking place in ancient times has not waned to this day. And this is understandable: the oldest and most ancient people, although they differed from us in appearance and way of life, are our ancestors. Evolution did not stop for a moment, transforming living beings on planet Earth, turning one kind of people into another.
One of the finds of archaeologists, made relatively recently, made it possible to find out that in addition to the Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals known to everyone, there was another species of primitive man, who was named Homo Heidelbergensis. What is the difference between this intelligent creature and others? What discoveries have archeologists and anthropologists made by examining his remains? We will try to present the answers to these questions in this article.
When and by whom was the Heidelberg man discovered
A fossilized man named “Heidelberg” would have been discovered by the German scientist Schötensack as early as the beginning of the 20th century near the small town of Heidelberg. That is why he was given such a name. The depth of the fossil remains was about 24 meters from the surface of the earth. The Heidelberg man, or rather his jaw, combined both primitive features (massiveness and lack of a chin protrusion), and signs of a modern person (tooth structure).
Scientists came to the conclusion that this species of primitive intelligent creature lived in the era of the early Pleistocene (about 420 thousand ago). This was also indicated by fragments of the bodies of the ancient rhino, horses, lions and bison that are with the remains.
The study of fragments of the skull made it possible not only to find out what the Heidelberg man looked like (the appearance of primitive people, as we know, can tell a lot), but also to make other, more important discoveries. We will talk about them a little later, but now we’ll try to understand what this human ancestor was externally.
Estimated Appearance
Heidelberg man, according to scientists, was not much different in appearance from the same synanthropes and pithecanthropus. A sloping forehead, deep-set eyes, and prominent massive jaws are considered a characteristic sign of people of that era. The width of the spinal column, similar in structure to Neanderthal, allowed us to conclude that this intelligent creature moved on its hind limbs, that is, on its legs, just like a modern person. Heidelberg’s height was somewhat larger than that of a Neanderthal man, but smaller than that of a Cro-Magnon man, who was closest in modern skeleton structure to modern man.
Heidelberg Man Living Conditions
The Heidelberg man, judging by the location of his remains, lived in natural caves, as well as other places where it was possible to hide from the weather and predators. Representatives of this type of ancient people were already able to use primitive tools. This is evidenced by pieces of artificially processed silicon found near the fossil remains, which, most likely, were used as scrapers and knives.
The most ancient and ancient people were everywhere engaged in gathering and hunting for animals, and the kind of man discussed in this article was no exception. In the places where he lived, archaeologists found animal bones, which, apparently, were eaten by Heidelberg people.
Classes of Heidelberg Man
This type of primitive man was inherent to live in a society of his own kind. Heidelberg people created large groups, so it was easier for them to hunt, raise offspring and just survive in that harsh era. Heidelberg man knew how to make primitive clothes from skins, the found remains of animal skins speak of this. Based on this, we can safely say that this species used tools not only from fragments of stones, but also the bones of fish and animals (needles, awls, etc.).
Did the Heidelberg man have his own language?
As we know, in ancient times there were various kinds of people. Evolution "worked" not only on their appearance, but also on what today is called communicative abilities, that is, ability to communicate. The structure of the jaw and later found fragments of the skulls of Heidelberg people allowed scientists to conclude that they had the ability to make articulate sounds, that is, to speak. The structure of the diaphragm, jaws and spinal canal also suggests that this human ancestor was able not only to make primitive sounds, but also to form syllables from them and adjust the pronunciation volume. Of course, in this case we can talk about a set of 10 words, no more. Nevertheless, this fact allows us to speak of Heidelberg man as a rational humanoid creature, capable of recognizing the sound signals of his fellow tribesmen, and, therefore, interacting with them at the level of reason, and not instincts.
Cannibalism in the society of Heidelberg man: food tradition or ritual?
The above described, although it is an amazing discovery, but nevertheless some moments of the life of the Heidelberg man impressed archaeologists and anthropologists even more. The fact is that along with the gnawed bones of animals, scientists discovered the bones of primitive people, which, according to the traces left on them, were simply gnawed. Was a primitive man already intelligent and mastering the rudiments of speech a cannibal? Yes it is. Although, by the number of bones found, it cannot be argued that Heidelberg people ate their own kind every day. Most likely, cannibalism was part of some kind of ritual, since the bones of human victims, unlike the remains of animals, lay separately from the remaining fragments found.
Heidelberg people are of great value in the study of primitive society and human evolution. This find is still fraught with many puzzles that are sure to be solved.