Rhodesian Man

Introduction

The Rhodesian Man, commonly known as Broken Hill 1 (sometimes Kabwe 1), is an almost full skull discovered in a lead and zinc mine 18 metres below ground level in Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia, on June 17th, 1921. (now Kabwe, Zambia). It was sent to London in the same year, and it is now one of the Natural History Museum’s most important artefacts.

The circumstances surrounding the finding make it challenging to assign an exact age to this fossil. Because a miner discovered it and there were no scientists nearby, the first data collection was less than ideal: for example, the exact location and relationship to animal remain in the vicinity. The discoverer had no recollection of the discovery. He added that the area was mostly soft stuff, with the only bones being some bat bones and a human tibia located one metre away on the same day. This is most likely the cranium from the same person.

Broken Hill was first dated at 40 ka, but subsequent estimates put it between 125 and 300 ka until it was finally dated to 299 ka in 2020. This is one of the first discoveries of a fossil that could be linked to the sapiens lineage.

Along with the European Middle Pleistocene specimens, this specimen has been classified as Homo heidelbergensis in certain studies. Others, however, suggest that Broken Hill is the holotype of Homo rhodesiensis, an African species that is thought to be a direct ancestor of Homo sapiens. Some even believe that Homo Rhodesians gave rise to the Homo sapiens idaltu subspecies, named after Herto, a 160 ka skull discovered by Tim White in Herto Bouri, Ethiopia, in 1997. H. rhodesiensis in Africa would have been contemporaneous with H. heidelbergensis in Europe in this situation. Let’s take a look at the Rhodesian Man study material to understand its physical characteristics.

Composition

Discoveries from anatomically modern humans, archaic humans, early Homo, early hominins, and other hominids make up the Bone Clones Hominid line. Their team of anatomical sculptors has replicated most of the casts in this range. Some are anthropology professionals’ reconstructions based on incomplete materials from original discoveries and extrapolating missing portions from those (i.e., Neanderthal skeleton).

Classification

The Acheulean tools manufactured before and after 600,000 years ago in Africa differ significantly. The older group was thicker and less symmetric, and the younger group was more extensively cut. Rupert Murrill investigated the similarities and differences between the Petralona Archanthropus skull and the Rhodesian Man. Although alternative names such as Homo sapiens arcaicus and Homo sapiens rhodesiensis have been offered, most scholars believe Rhodesian Man belongs to the Homo heidelbergensis group. According to Tim White, Rhodesian Man was most likely the ancestor of Homo sapiens idaltu (Herto Man), which was, in turn, the ancestor of Homo sapiens sapiens.

The cranium features cavities in ten of the upper teeth, making it one of the oldest cavities ever discovered. Pitting suggests that there was a major infection before death, implying that the death was caused by a dental disease infection or potentially a persistent ear infection.

Significance of Discovery of Rhodesian Man 

In 1921, 90 feet beneath the surface in the Broken Hill lead and zinc mine in what was then Northern Rhodesia, the fossilised skull of Rhodesian Man and other bones were unearthed. Tom Zwigelaar, a Swiss supervisor, and an anonymous African miner discovered them. The skull was first displayed on a pole to intimidate Zwigelaar’s African miners before it was discovered by a doctor who recognised its potential significance.

The Broken Hill skull, also known as the Kabwe skull, is a Rhodesian specimen (Broken Hill, in central Zambia, was renamed Kabwe in 1966). It is most likely a male, based on its size. However, this is still unknown.

The skull was donated to London’s Natural History Museum, then known as the British Museum, by the Rhodesia Broken Hill Development Company (Natural History). The British South African Company governed Northern Rhodesia for the UK at the time. Three years after the discovery of the skull, the United Kingdom took over control of the territory as a protectorate, which lasted until Zambia’s independence in 1964.

Conclusion

Homo sapiens, the most important species on the planet, is the consequence of more than 7 million years of evolution. Human evolution has been traced through fossil records and physiological, morphological, and embryological research.

Humans are members of the Hominidae family, which is part of the Primates order. Humans and apes are both members of the Primates order. With time, this order’s forebears evolved and became increasingly distinct.

Humans’ earliest ancestors are said to have originated in Africa and then travelled to Asia, Europe, and the rest of the world. It’s important to consider the study material notes on Rhodesian Man for proper understanding.