Homo Rhodesiensis "Kabwe 1"

This skull of Homo Rhodesiensis called "Kabwe 1" or "Broken Hill 1" comes from Kabwe in Zambia - Northern Rhodesia.

The fossil was found on 17 th June 1921 by the Swiss citicen Tom Ziglaar in a former lead and zinc plant in Kabwe. The location does not exist any more, it has been comletely destroyed in the year 1930 by the mining activities.

The age of this skull is about 200.000 years. Early archaic types of Homo Sapiens allready existed about 500.000 years ago. This period includes a group of skulls which have characterisitics of both - Homo Erectus and those of Modern Man. The brain volume of the skull is about 1280 kubic centimeters which is larger than Homo Erectus but smaller than Homo Sapiens. Some scientists name this fossil a Homo Heidelbergensis.

Notewothy is the dental caries. At the side of the skull there is a small almost circular hole which stimulates the imagination of some people who want to see it as a "bullet hole" or "proof as a visit by Extraterrestrials" . More likely however is that the hole is a result of a pathological abscess at the bone.

The skull is now kept in the Natural History Museum in London.

The cast is made of Epoxy resin and has been handcolored. The colors may differ from those of the pictures, the hadcraft makes every item unique.