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Wesleyan University Archaeology & Anthropology Collections Hominin Fossil Casts |
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Species Designation: Homo heidelbergensis (rhodesiensis) ID/ Nickname: Kabwe / Broken Hill 1, Rhodesian Man Date:125,000 - 300,000 years old Catalog #: 2004-11-15 Description: Cranium |
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Context of Discovery:
Discovered at Kabwe, Zambia by Tom Zwiglaar on June 17, 1921. Miners were looking for metal deposits in limestone caves. It was sent to Arthur Woodward who described this fossil in Nature. This was the first early human fossil to be found in Africa.
Facts about "Rhodesian Man":
Like earlier H. erectus specimens, Rhodesian Man has large brow ridges, a very slight sagittal crest and an occipital torus at the back of the skull. Its more modern traits include a less prognathic (flatter) face and a brain size of about 1300 cc. The cranium also shows evidence of disease and wounds. Ten of the upper teeth have cavities. There is a partially healed wound above and to the front of the ear hole. The wound is about 1/4 inch in diameter and was probably made by a piercing instrument or the tooth of a carnivore. Some researchers have proposed that Kabwe may be a member of the African population from which all modern humans descended, but there is still debate.
In general, there is a decrease in robusticity, an increase in brain size, and a tendency towards features of H. neanderthalensis or H. sapiens.
Important Publications:
Woodward, A.S. 1921. "A new cave man from Rhodesia, South Africa." Nature 108: 371-372.