On October 21, 1907, Daniel Hartmann, a worker at a sand mine in the Grafenrain open-field system of the Mauer community unearthed a mandible at a depth of 24.63 m (80.81 ft), which he recognized as of human origin. He … See more

Otto Schoetensack had the site at the bottom of the sand mine marked with a commemorative stone on which a horizontal line … See more

As uncertain as the exact dating of the lower jaw of Mauer was until recently, so is the assignment of other fossils to its layer. Such contextual fossils are the only direct evidence for an accurate reconstruction of the habitat of a find. Not until 1991 two sets of core drilling were … See more

• Otto Schoetensack: Der Unterkiefer des Homo Heidelbergensis aus den Sanden von Mauer bei Heidelberg. Ein Beitrag zur Paläontologie des Menschen. Verlag von Wilhelm … See more

The anatomical analysis of the lower jaw of Mauer in its 1908 original species description by Otto Schoetensack was based largely on … See more

The Mauer mandible is the type specimen of the species Homo heidelbergensis. "The anatomy is clearly more primitive than that of Neanderthal, but the harmoniously rounded dental arch and the complete row of teeth...already typically human." Based on … See more

• Title page of the first description of Homo heidelbergensis
• Original condition with adherent material
• Condition after cleaning
• Radiography See more