Homo sapiens, modern humans, have existed for around 300,000 years. The history of prehistoric human research began in 1856 with the discovery of Neanderthal remains in the Neander Valley near Mettmann. The human “family tree” is a subject of ongoing debate. This is partly due to the very small number of fossil finds, which often consist of only individual bones or teeth.
By far the oldest remains of our ancestors were found in Africa, the presumed cradle of humanity. Important milestones in human development were walking upright, the enlargement of the brain, the use of tools, the discovery of fire, and the first forms of artistic expression. One particularly notable ancestor of Homo sapiens is Australopithecus afarensis, which stood about 1 meter tall and is best known for the famous fossil “Lucy.” The approximately 3-million-year-old skeleton from East Africa provides early evidence of bipedalism.
In addition to skulls, you can view and even touch reconstructions of the faces of some of our ancestors in the exhibition.