Skip to content
Storiascopio
EN
Back to the event Worksheets to print

One A4 page. In the print window choose “Save as PDF” if you want the file.

Storiascopio · Era 2 of 12 · primary year 3

Homo heidelbergensis

about 600,000 years ago · Mauer, near Heidelberg, Germany

Illustration: Homo heidelbergensis

In short

Homo heidelbergensis is named after Heidelberg, in Germany, where one of its jawbones was found in the early 1900s. It lived in Africa and Europe between about 700,000 and 200,000 years ago and hunted large animals. Many scientists think that both the Neanderthals and our own species descend from it.

Why it matters It is probably the common ancestor of the Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.

Source: Smithsonian, Human Origins Program, “Homo heidelbergensis”

Where we are in the era “Prehistory”

Your turn

Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________

  1. When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:

  2. Tell it in your own words: what happened?

  3. Draw the scene below.

storiascopio.com/en/event/homo-heidelbergensis/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class