Homo heidelbergensis comes to life

 

Credit: Luna04

"Humans before Neanderthals" is a fascinating documentary about archaic humans in Europe about 450,000 years ago. Here, they are assigned to the species Homo heidelbergensis or Heidelberg Man. This species is believed to be ancestral to both our species and the Neanderthals.

These robust humans lived in Europe during an ice age, hunted reindeer and bears, manufactured spears and hand axes, and lived in caves at least during the winter. They didn´t seem to have fire. The bears were presumably hunted for their hides, which were used as clothes. It´s also possible that they "buried" their dead by throwing them into shafts in the caves. One handaxe have been found in such a burial shaft, perhaps as a symbolic parting gift? The documentary calls this "the oldest shrine in the world". 

There is evidence that Heidelberg Man (and Woman) felt compassion, since they took care of disabled children. However, everything clearly wasn´t alright in Old Europe. Some have suggested that these archaic humans were cannibals. While compassionate towards their own children, they killed and ate those of other bands! But sure, all material remains are open to interpretation. Perhaps the makers of this documentary side with one particular faction within the archeological community? If so, it´s the most pessimistic one, since one scientist interviewed argues that Homo heidelbergensis practiced cannibalism *by choice* even during periods when other food sources were abundant...

I admit that I was fascinated by "Humans before Neanderthals". Previously Homo heidelbergensis was just a name, now they (or those in Europe assigned to this species) have an identity. It´s also rather sobering that humans for most of their existence lived in this kind of "barbaric" and "primitive" stage. In that sense, this is the natural state of man. We are the anomaly.

With that reflection, I end this review.