Archaeologists have discovered the oldest human footprints in Germany in the former Schöningen opencast mine in Lower Saxony. The three footprints are around 300,000 years old and most likely come from two juvenile and one adult representative of Homo heidelbergensis. These early humans are considered the evolutionary link between Homo erectus and Neanderthals. Together with the animal tracks preserved at the site, the footprints give an insight into the living conditions and environment of these early humans.
Located in eastern Lower Saxony, the former Schöningen brown coal mine is one of the most important prehistoric sites in Germany. Ever since the excavations began in 1979, archaeologists have been conducting rescue excavations there in order to salvage possible relics from being destroyed by the bucket wheel excavators. At that time, mainly finds from the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age were discovered. After the excavators dug deeper layers in the 1990s, the scientists also came across finds from the Paleolithic. Among these are several 300,000-year-old wooden javelins, as well as wooden throwing pieces, remains of hearths and stone tools from that period. In 2022, traces of processing were also discovered on the bones of cave bears, which originate from the skin being stripped and which are the oldest evidence of fur use by early humans.
The finds from Schöningen, which are unique in the world, are attributed to Homo heidelbergensis, a presumed link between Homo erectus and Neanderthals. The first and oldest bones of this human species, which only occurs in Europe, were discovered in 1907 in a sand pit near Heidelberg – hence the name of this hominin. Although no bones from this early man have yet been found in Schöningen, the age and design of the weapons and tools suggest that they came from this early man.
Traces in the primeval bank mud
A team led by Flavio Altamura from the University of Tübingen has now discovered further traces of this early human in the south-west of the former opencast mine – literally. A few years ago, numerous fossil animal tracks had been noticed there, but had not yet been systematically examined. The fossil traces have survived to this day because around 300,000 years ago the muddy shore of a lake a few kilometers long and a few hundred meters wide lay there. Animals that ran along there or came to the water to drink left their footprints in this mud. Later, this mud dried up and was covered by sand, preserving the tracks.
Since 2018, Altamura and his colleagues have analyzed and mapped these footprints, spread over several dozen square meters. They discovered numerous footprints of deer, forest elephants and rhinos – and some non-animal tracks: “Among the prints are also three tracks that match hominin footprints,” reports Altamura. “At around 300,000 years old, they are the oldest human traces known in Germany and probably come from Homo heidelbergensis.”
(Video: Senckenberg)
Insight into primeval life
The shape and size of the footprints suggest that they may have come from one adult and two juvenile early humans. They thus provide a kind of snapshot of Stone Age everyday life and the social behavior of this prehistoric human species. “Due to the traces of children and young people, it is probably more of a family outing than a group of adult hunters,” explains Altamura. Homo heidelbergensis probably stayed at the Stone Age lake because it offered water, fish and a rich flora. “Depending on the season, plants, fruits, leaves, shoots and mushrooms were available around the lake,” says Altamura.
The human footprints are also surrounded by various animal tracks. Among them are the footprints of a European forest elephant – the largest land animal of the time. “The elephant tracks we discovered in Schöningen reach a remarkable length of 55 centimetres,” explains excavation leader Jordi Serangeli from the University of Tübingen. “One track also comes from a rhinoceros – Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis or Stephanorhinus hemitoechus – and is the first footprint of this species from the Pleistocene that was found in Europe.” The discovery of such prehistoric animal and human tracks thus provides valuable information about the living environment at the time of Homo heidelbergensis. It is correspondingly important to research and conserve these relics of the past.
“The new findings show once again the outstanding importance of the Schöningen site, which is already known for spectacular finds such as the famous nine javelins, a thrusting lance, two throwing sticks or the almost complete skeleton of a Eurasian forest elephant,” commented Falko Mohrs, from Lower Saxony Minister of Science and Culture, the new discoveries.
Source: Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museums; Articles: Quaternary Science Reviews, doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108094