Paleoanthropology and Early Man Life on Stamps

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 15 Jun 2015 02:11

Primate and human evolution stamp collection is a part of my monkey stamp collection but I thought this subject deserve a special thread. The collection includes philatelic materials about human evolution, paleoanthropologists, early man culture and art, prehistoric tools etc. I will be glad to see your stamps and philatelic materials in this thread.

To start the thread, here is a souvenir sheet issued by South Africa on November 10, 2006, entitled "Origin of humankind" depicting time scale of human evolution from the first Australopithecines to the modern human:

The SS consisted of four self adhesive stamps depicting skulls founded in South Africa: Pananthropus robustus, A. africanus, H. heidelbergensis and H. ergaster and their reconstructions.

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 15 Jun 2015 02:19

Australopithecus afarensis is an extinct hominid that lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. It is thought that A. afarensis was more closely related to the genus Homo (which includes the modern human species Homo sapiens), whether as a direct ancestor or a close relative of an unknown ancestor, than any other known primate from the same time.

The most famous fossil of A. afarensis is the partial skeleton named Lucy (3.2 million years old) found by Donald Johanson and colleagues in Hadar, Afar region, Ethiopia. The name Lucy is after the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".

Here is a stamp issued by Ethiopia on July 4, 1986 depicting Lucy skeleton under Ethiopian map:

The Kingdom of Cambodia issued the following stamp on October 25, 2001 depicting reconstruction of A. afarensis. Please, note the bipedal walking:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 16 Jun 2015 04:34

Australopithecus africanus was an early hominid, an australopithecine, who lived between ~3.03 and 2.04 million years ago. In common with the older A. afarensis, A. africanus was of slender build, or gracile, and was thought to have been a direct ancestor of modern humans.

Here is a stamp issued by South Africa on November 10, 2006, depicting A. africanus skull and its reconstruction:

One of the famous skulls of A. africanus, called Mrs. Ples, has been found in 1947 in Sterkfontein by Robert Broom (1866-1951), a South African paleontologist. Here is a stamp issued by SA on October 9, 1991 depicting a famous photo of Broom with Mrs. Ples:

SA issued a set of three stamps promoting tourism on September 22, 2002. One of the stamp devoted to Sterkfontein, depicting A. africanus skull and its reconstruction:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 17 Jun 2015 03:40

My collection of early man life includes prehistoric cave and rock paintings. Here is a set of engraved postage due stamps issued by Chad on April 20, 1962 depicting rock paintings from Tibesti mountains. The stamps were designed and engraved by either Pierre Munier or Pierre Béquet or both as indicated on the stamps:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 17 Jun 2015 03:43

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 17 Jun 2015 03:48

CGH2015 · Post by **CGH2015** » 17 Jun 2015 04:08

A very attractive and informative presentation.

Thanks for sharing.

pookie9121 · Post by **pookie9121** » 17 Jun 2015 04:37

Great idea for a thread.

Cheers,
Erik

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 18 Jun 2015 06:50

Thanks CGH and Erik for your warm words.

Raymond Arthur Dart (1893 – 1988) was an Australian anatomist and anthropologist, who, in 1924, had discovered the first fossilized skull ever found of a young Australopithecus africanus, an extinct hominid closely related to humans, at Taung, South Africa. The skull is called "Taung child" or "Taung baby".

Here is a stamp issued by Palau on March 15, 2000, depicting a famous photo of Raymond Dart examining the "Taung child" skull:

"Taung child", A. africanus skull discovered by Dart, issued by SA on June 28, 1998:

A reconstruction of A. africanus, issued by the Kingdom of Cambodia on October 25, 2001:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 21 Jun 2015 03:44

Here is my favorite stamp in my human evolution collection: It is a stamp issued by Tanzania on December 9, 1965 depicting skull of Zinjanthropus discovered by anthropologist Mary Leakey (1913 -1996) on July 17, 1959, at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania:

Mary and her husband, Louis Leaky, described the species as a robust australopithecine, lived in Eastern Africa from about 2.3 until about 1.2 million years ago. It was called later Paranthropus boisei or Australopithecus boisei. Here is a stamp of Mary Leaky issued by GB on April 16, 2013:

As far as I know, GB didn't issue stamp or postmark commemorating Louis Leakey.

Reconstruction of A. boisei, issued by Uzbekistan on May 10, 2002:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 23 Jun 2015 03:24

Another complete fossilized skull of Australopithecus boisei was discovered in 1969 in Koobi Fora, Lake Turkana, Kenya by the anthropologist Richard Leakey, son of Mary and Louis Leakey:

A reconstruction of A. boisei, issued by the Kingdom of Cambodia on October 25, 2001:

Richard Leakey considered the A. boisei to be the first hominin species to use stone tools. Here is a stamp issued for use in the French territory of Afars and Issas on September 7, 1973 depicting prehistoric stone tools (although from later period than the period of the Australopithecines):

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 26 Jun 2015 19:42

Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey (1903 – 1972) was a Kenyan paleoanthropologist whose work was important in establishing human evolutionary development in Africa. He also played a major role in creating organizations for future research in Africa and for protecting wildlife there. Leakey also contributed to the field of primatology, research of primates, which he understood as key to unraveling the mysteries of human evolution. He was the academic supervisor of three famous primatologists: Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birutė Galdikas, each contributed to our understanding of human evolution.

Here is a stamp issued by Palau on March 15, 2000, depicting famous photo of Leakey in East Africa:

Here is my favorite item in my collection: an FDC issued by Kenya Uganda Tanzania on May 2, 1967 for the set "East Africam archaeological relics" signed by Louis Leakey and his wife Mary Leakey:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 30 Jun 2015 05:57

Hi, let's move little from Africa to other parts of the world...here is a nice SS issued by Pitcairn Islands on August 30, 2006 as one of two SS's in a set "Early Civilization" depicting the cave dwellers of Henderson. Although not prehistoric period, it reflects the life of the early Homo sapiens:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 02 Jul 2015 03:23

Back to Africa...Here is a set and a SS issued by Lesotho on May 20, 1983 depicting rock paintings. Each stamp was issued with tab contains description of the design:

The SS contains one more stamp depicting hunters not issued as a single:

Jose Paulo · Post by **Jose Paulo** » 02 Jul 2015 07:07

Brazil
History Set in Stone: Rock art in the Amazon
The stamp features a representation of the east face of the Serra da Lua, in the city of Monte Alegre/PA, which is where the most important and wellknown rock paintings in the Amazon. By emphasizing the man/place relationship, the artist has shown the esthetics of the paintings and the records of the remains left behind by the humans, who had chosen there as a place to live and to shelter.
Date of issue: August 12th, 2013

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 08 Jul 2015 00:56

Thank you very much, Jose, for sharing!!! You are welcome!!!

Dryopithecus (Proconsul) africanus is an ape which lived from about 23 to 14 millions years ago during the Miocene epoch. It considered a possible ancestor of both apes and humans. The name, Proconsul, was given after the name of a famous chimpanzee in London zoo.

Here is a stamp depicting Proconsul africanus discovered by the Leakys in Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria in 1948, issued by Kenya on January 19, 1982:

Another stamp depicting Proconsul skull was issued by Kenya-Uganda-Tanzania on May 2, 1967:

Jose Paulo · Post by **Jose Paulo** » 08 Jul 2015 01:44

Brazil
Cave paintings
Date: 18 May 1985

Image link inactive. Removed
Cerca Grande - Matozinhos
Lapa do Caboclo - Januária
Grande Abrigo de Santana do Riacho

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 10 Jul 2015 21:47

Rock paintings set of stamps issued by South Africa on February 15, 2006:

Linton panel (detail) - on display in the Iziko South Africam museum:

On display in the South African museum of rock art:

On display at the Wildebeest Kuil public rock art:

On display at the Game Pass public rock art site:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 16 Jul 2015 06:26

Abel is the name given to the only specimen ever discovered of Australopithecus bahrelghazali. Abel was found in January 1995 in Chad in the Kanem Region by the French paleontologist Michel Brunet.

Of Abel remains only part of a jaw, which explains the little information concerning its way of life. Here is a SS issued to commemorate the finding of Abel jaw by Michel Brunet, issued by Chad in 1998:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 24 Jul 2015 04:47

Zdeněk Michael František Burian (February 11, 1905, Kopřivnice, Moravia, Austria-Hungary – July 1, 1981 Prague, Czechoslovakia) was a Czech painter and book illustrator whose work played a central role in the development of palaeontological reconstruction. He is regarded by many as the most influential palaeo-artist of the modern era, and a number of subsequent artists have attempted to emulate his style.

Burian's early man illustrations depicted on several stamps. Here is a set on two FDC's issued by Cuba on March 31, 1967 depicting different Burian's early man famous illustration:

The following upper stamp was issued by Qu'aiti State in Hadhramaut (South Arabia) in 1968 depicting details from Burian's early man illustration:

More Burian's illustrations

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 03 Aug 2015 09:20

Here are two nice postmark depicting the same early man skull issued by France in 1976 to publicize the 9th congress of the International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (IUPPS) held in Nice, France on September 13-18, 1976:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 10 Aug 2015 05:11

Australopithecus anamensis is a stem-human species that lived approximately four million years ago. It is accepted that A. anamensis is ancestral to A. afarensis and continued an evolving lineage. Fossil evidence determines that the Australopithecus anamensis is the earliest hominin species in the Turkana Basin.

Australopithecus anamensis, issued by the Kingdom of Cambodia on October 25, 2001:

Australopithecus rudolfensis is an extinct species of the Hominini. The first A. rudolfensis fossil was discovered by Bernard Ngeneo, a member of a team led by anthropologist Richard Leakey in 1972, at Koobi Fora on the east side of Lake Rudolf (now Lake Turkana) in Kenya.

Australopithecus rudolfensis, issued by the Kingdom of Cambodia on October 25, 2001:

Hominini - a tribe of the subfamily Homininae; it comprises three subtribes: Hominina, with its one genus Homo; Australopithecina, comprising several extinct genera; and Panina, with its one genus Pan, the chimpanzees.

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 17 Aug 2015 07:10

Paranthropus robustus or Australopithecus robustus is an early hominin, originally discovered in Southern Africa in 1938. Paranthropus robustus is generally dated to have lived between 2.0 and 1.2 million years ago. It had large jaws and jaw muscles with the accompanying sagittal crest, and teeth that were adapted to serve in the dry environment they lived in.

Here is a stamp issued by South Africa on November 10, 2006, depicting P. robustus skull and its reconstruction:

P. robustus on a stamp issued by Cuba on August 10, 2008:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 25 Aug 2015 06:14

Homo is the genus comprising the subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens, or modern humans, plus several extinct species classified as ancestral to or closely related to modern humans. The genus is about 2.8 million years old.

The Homo type first appeared as its earliest species Homo habilis, which emerged from the genus Australopithecus, which itself had previously split from the lineage of the genus Pan, the chimpanzees. Here are several stamps depicting the Homo habilis:

Homo habilis skull discovered by the Leakys in Lake Turkana, issued by Kenya on January 19, 1982:

Homo habilis skull, issued by Palau on March 15, 2000:

In its appearance and morphology, H. habilis is the least similar to modern humans of all species in the genus Homo and its classification as Homo has been the subject of controversial debate. H. habilis was short and had disproportionately long arms compared to modern humans. However, it had a less protruding face than the australopithecines from which it is thought to have descended.

Here is a stamp issued by Cuba on August 10, 2008 depicting Homo habilis reconstruction:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 30 Aug 2015 01:59

Here is another stamp depicting Homo habilis reconstruction, issued by the Kingdom of Cambodia on October 25, 2001:

Despite the ape-like morphology of H. habilis, his remains are often accompanied by primitive stone tools (like in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania and Lake Turkana, Kenya). Many scientists considered H. habilis as the first toolmaker (although Leakey considered A. boisei as the first toolmaker). Here is a stamp issued by Palau on March 15, 2000 depicting H. habilis using stone tool:

Homo habilis using stone tools, designed by the Czech painter Zdeněk Burian (1905 – 1981), issued by Cuba on March 31, 1967:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 08 Sep 2015 05:57

Rock paintings from Highveld area, issued by Swaziland on August 8, 1977:

Description of the stamps (taken from the SS):

Issued also in SS:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 15 Sep 2015 21:32

Homo erectus (meaning "upright man") is an extinct species of hominid that lived throughout most of the Pleistocene geological epoch. Its earliest fossil evidence dates to 1.9 million years ago and the most recent to 70,000 years ago. H. erectus originated in Africa and spread from there, migrating throughout Eurasia as far as Georgia, India, Sri Lanka, China and Java.

H. erectus skull (H. ergaster) founded in Koobi Fora Kenya in 1975 by by Bernard Ngeneo, a field worker for Richard Leakey - issued by Kenya on January 19, 1982:

Reconstruction of H. erectus, issued by the Kingdom of Cambodia on October 25, 2001:

H. erectus on a stamp issued by Cuba on August 10, 2008:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 29 Sep 2015 19:08

H. erectus was originated in Africa and spread from there, migrating throughout Eurasia. A near complete skull of H. erectus was discovered alongside stone tools and bones of animal in Dmanisi, Georgia. It was dated 1.7 m.y. old and considered by many as "The first European".

In year 2002, Georgia issued a souvenir sheet entitled "The first European" with two stamps, one depicting the Dmanisi skull. The SS margin depicting the migration line of the H. erectus from Africa to Asia and Europe through Georgia:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 15 Oct 2015 21:44

Groups of Homo erectus migrated from Africa through Europe to China. In 1929, Pei Wenzhong, a Chinese scientist, discovered the first Homo erectus skull at Zhoukoudian near Peking. The Chinese type of the erectus called Peking Man (Homo erectus pekinensis or Sinanthropus pekinensis). To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the discovery, China issued on October 19, 1989, a special postal stationary with printed stamp depicting the skull and reconstruction of Peking Man. The cachet depicting a group of the erectus:

In addition, a special postmark was issued to commemorate the anniversary:

To commemorate the 13th Conference of the International Union for Quaternary Research, held in Peking, The PRC issued on August 2, 1991, a stamp depicting a head statue of Peking Man exhibited in Zhoukoudian:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 23 Oct 2015 04:21

Here are more items depicting Sinanthropus pekinensis (Homo erectus):

FDC of the stamp I posted above, issued on August 2, 1991, to commemorate the 13th Conference of the International Union for Quaternary Research:

I like to collect the stamps used on commercial covers:

Cuba - issued on March 31, 1967:

Uzbekistan - issued on May 10, 2002:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 07 Nov 2015 17:26

Groups of Homo erectus migrated to Indonesia. Java Man (Homo erectus erectus) is the popular name given to early human fossils discovered on the island of Java (Indonesia) in 1891 and 1892 by an excavation team led by Eugène Dubois.

To commemorate the centenary of paleoanthropology in Indonesia (1889 - 1989), a set of six stamps was issued on August 31, 1989. Here are two of the stamps depicting Java man (Homo erectus) skull fossils discovered in Java:

Sangiran 10:

Ngandong 7:

A group of Java man (Homo erectus), issued by Cuba on October 30, 1997:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 20 Nov 2015 08:37

Groups of Homo erectus migrated to Western Europe. Tautavel Man (Homo erectus tautavelensis), is a proposed subspecies of the hominid Homo erectus, the 450,000-year-old fossil remains of whom were discovered in the Arago Cave in Tautavel, France. Excavations began in 1964, with the first notable discovery occurring in 1969.

On June 20, 1992, France issued a single stamp depicting the Tautavel Man:

FDC of the stamp with special postmark:

Silk maximum card:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 30 Nov 2015 05:18

Homo erectus families made stone and wood tools and used fire in their daily lives - issued by Palau on March 15, 2000:

Palau Homo erectus stamp

H. erectus using stone tools and fire, issued by Indonesia on August 31, 1989. On the left, H. erectus skull discovered in Perning 1, Indonesia:

Indonesia Homo erectus stamp

Stamp design based on this original:

Stone tools, issued by North Korea in 1998:

North Korea Homo erectus stamp

Early man using stone tool on a postmark from Valence, France, 1994:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 10 Dec 2015 06:00

There are several extinct human species related to the Homo erectus:

Homo ergaster or African Homo erectus is an extinct species of the genus Homo that lived in eastern and southern Africa between 1.9 million and 1.4 million years ago. It is one of the earliest hominins, which are those hominids that comprise the original members and species of the human clade after splitting from the line of the chimpanzees. (And Homo ergaster is variously thought to be ancestral to, or as sharing a common ancestor with, or as being the same species as, Homo erectus).

Here is a stamp issued by South Africa on November 10, 2006, depicting Homo ergaster skull and its reconstruction:

Homo erectus aeserniensis is a human species lived ~750000 years ago. His remains were found near the town of Isernia, Italy in 1978. Here is a stamp issued by Italy on February 6, 1988 commemorating the 10th anniversary of the discovery of the Homo erectus aeserniensis' remains:

Homo antecessor is an extinct human species (or subspecies) dating from 800,000 to 1.2 million years ago, that was discovered in the Sierra de Atapuerca region of northern Spain. H. antecessor is one of the earliest known human species in Europe.

Here is a stamp issued by Spain on November 30, 2001 depicting Homo antecessor skull plus a photo of his model and the skull depicted on the stamp:

norvic · Post by **norvic** » 10 Dec 2015 20:42

I've no idea how accurate or complete this is but http://www.paleophilatelie.eu/:

"... is a topical collecting of post stamps and another kind of philatelic material (covers, post cards, post stationary, post marks etc.) depicted prehistoric animals plant fossils, fossil found sites, reconstruction of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, humans ancestors, paleontologists and contributors to the science as well as some museums with significant paleontological collections. In other worlds this site is about Paleontology and its representation in Philately."

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 12 Dec 2015 21:58

norvic wrote:I've no idea how accurate or complete this is but http://www.paleophilatelie.eu/:

Thank you very much, Ian, for the link. Indeed, it is one of the best source for images and information for paleontology and paleoanthropology on stamps and different philatelic items. I strongly recommend to all who interest in paleontology on stamps (especially, dinosaurs & prehistoric animals, origin of man, fossils, scientists, Darwin and more) to visit it.

This site is created by SB member paleophilatelist. He also started a wonderful thread here in SB with many images and a lot of valuable information:

Paleontology on stamps

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 12 Dec 2015 22:16

Homo heidelbergensis, also Homo rhodesiensis, is an extinct species of the genus Homo which lived in Africa, Europe and western Asia between 600 and 200 thousand years ago. The skulls of this species share features with both Homo erectus and anatomically modern Homo sapiens, its brain was nearly as large as that of Homo sapiens.

Here is a stamp issued by South Africa on November 10, 2006, depicting Homo heidelbergensis skull founded in Elandsfontein, SA and its reconstruction:

The first discovery, a jaw, was made in 1907 in Mauer near Heidelberg in Germany where it was described by Otto Schoetensack from Heidelberg University and was named Homo heidelbergensis.

Here is a postmark depicting the Homo heidelbergensis jaw founded in Mauer near Heidelberg, issued by Germany in 1982 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the discovery:

The PC was sent from Mauer, the H. heidelbergensis jaw discovery site:

The Steinheim skull is a fossilized skull of a Homo heidelbergensis found in 1933 near Steinheim an der Murr, Germany, hence, it is also called Homo steinheimensis. The skull is estimated to be 250,000–350,000 years old. The original fossil is housed in the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany.

I don't know a stamp depicting the H. steinheimensis skull and all I have in my collection is the following meter from the Steinheim an der Murr, Germany publicizing an exhibition about Homo steinheimensis:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 19 Dec 2015 18:46

The Neanderthal (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) was a species of human in the genus Homo that became extinct about 40,000 years ago. They were closely related to modern humans, differing in DNA by just 0.12%. Remains left by Neanderthals include bone and stone tools, which are found in Eurasia, from Western Europe to Central and Northern Asia and the Middle East.

One of the first sites where Neanderthal fossils were discovered is the Feldhofer Cave, at the Düssel River's Neander valley, Germany. In August 1856, a part skull was discovered there and the species was named Neanderthal after the Neander valley (Thal). Here is a stamp issued by Germany on August 10, 2006, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the discovery. The stamp depicting the discovered skull and the valley:

Reconstruction of Neanderthal man, issued by the Kingdom of Cambodia on October 25, 2001:

Neanderthal Museum is a museum in Mettmann, Germany. Located at the site of the first Neanderthal man discovery in the Neander valley, it features an exhibit centered on human evolution. Here are several items from Mettmann museum:

Meter depicting the museum building, 2000:

PC sent from Mettmann, PM publicizing the exhibition:

Cover sent from Mettmann, meter publicizing the exhibition:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 25 Dec 2015 08:10

Neanderthal man remains were found in the Island of Jersey. On October 12, 2010, Jersey issued a set of five stamps entitled Jersey Archaeology, commemorating the centenary of the excavations began at the site La Cotte de St. Brelade in 1910. Among the findings, a Neanderthal man'n teeth and flint tools.

Neanderthal man's teeth:

Woolly Rhinoceros fossilized skull:

Woolly Mammoth fossilized tusks and tooth:

Flint tools from the lower Paleolithic up to end of the Paleolithic epoch:

Giant deer fossilized antlers:

FDC with special postmark:

Stamps were issued in a special presentation pack depicting skulls of Homo erectus, Neanderthal man and Homo sapiens:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 01 Jan 2016 08:23

The Neanderthals of Gibraltar (Homo sapiens neandarthalensis) were among the first to be discovered and may have been among the last of their species. The skull of a Neanderthal woman, discovered in a quarry in 1848, was only the second Neanderthal skull ever found and the first adult Neanderthal skull to be discovered, eight years before the discovery of the skull for which the species was named in Neandertal, Germany; (The Gibraltar skull was recognized as belong to Neanderthal several years later).

The Neanderthals are known to have occupied ten sites on the Gibraltar peninsula at the southern tip of Iberia, which may have had one of the densest areas of Neanderthal settlement of anywhere in Europe.

To commemorate 125th anniversary of the Gibraltar skull, a set of three stamps was issued by Gibraltar on May 22, 1973:

Gibraltar man Neanderthal skull:

Gibraltar man reconstruction:

Group of Neanderthals using fire:

Here is a stamp depicting the Gibraltar man skull exhibited in Gibraltar museum, issued on June 17, 2005 commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Gibraltar Museum:

Gibraltar man skull and Neanderthal hunting ibex, issued as one of a set of 16 stamps depicting Gibraltar's history:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 18 Jan 2016 09:22

Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger (1856 - 1936, Zagreb) was a Croatian geologist, paleontologist, and archaeologist. He did extensive scientific research of osteological human material, fauna, ecological conditions, and the life and culture of people once living in Croatia.

In 1899 on Hušnjak hill, near the Croatian town of Krapina, he discovered a very rich Neanderthal site of an early man today known as Krapina man (Krapinski pračovjek).

A set of two stamps was issued on August 23, 1999, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Krapina man finding. The stamp depicting skull, remains and reconstruction of the Krapina man and Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger:

A special first day of issue postmark depicting Neanderthal remains from Krapina:

A Neanderthal man skull, issued by Yugoslavia on February 4, 1985. I have no information about the origin of this skull but I assume it is from Krapina. Any way, a nice and nearly complete Neanderthal skull:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 05 Feb 2016 18:05

Neanderthals were skilled hunters that usually hunted large animals like the Woolly Mammoth. Stone-tipped wooden spears were used for hunting and stone knives and poleaxes were used for butchering the animals or as weapons.

Palau, March 15, 2000:

A group of Neanderthals hunting mammoths using fire (left) and returning to their cave with a mammoth carcass in tow (right). This se-tenant issued by Jersey in 1994 to commemorate the discovery of the La Cotte de St. Brelade Neanderthal site:

The margins of this sheet, issued by Uzbekistan on May 10, 2002, depicting a group of Neanderthal hunting Mammoth:

A set of four stamps depicting North American prehistoric animals from the Cenozoic Era (the "Age of Mammals"), including a Woolly Mammoth, issued by the USA in 1996:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 23 Feb 2016 08:38

Neanderthals used to hunt the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus), a species of bear that lived in Europe during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 24,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Here are two stamps from Romania (1966) and Macedonia (1998) depicting the cave bear:

Meter label from Germany depicting a skeleton of the cave bear:

Neanderthals hunting cave bear - issued by North Korea:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 12 Mar 2016 21:17

A Saber-toothed Cat (or tiger) is any member of various extinct groups of predatory mammals that were characterized by long, curved saber-shaped canine teeth. The large maxillary canine teeth extended from the mouth even when it was closed. The saber-toothed cats were found worldwide from the Eocene epoch to the end of the Pleistocene epoch (42 mya – 11,000 years ago).

Recent excavations at Schöningen, Germany found that, about 300,000 years ago, humans and the European saber-toothed cat lived in close proximity, although whether they were predators or our human ancestors were hunting them remains unanswered. At that time the area would have been inhabited by Neanderthals.

Here are three stamps depicting the Saber-toothed Cat:

USA, 1996:

Bulgaria, 1971:

Qu'aiti State in Hadhramaut (South Arabia), 1967:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 26 Mar 2016 20:04

Neanderthals used caves as shelters or built huts made of wood, stone or Mammoth bones:

Family using cave as shelter, issued by Hungary on October 27, 1993:

Hut made of Mammoth bones, issued by Palau on March 15, 2000:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 05 Apr 2016 04:13

Homo rhodesiensis refers to an extinct hominin species of the genus Homo, first described in 1921 by Arthur Smith Woodward in reference to the Kabwe skull fossil recovered at Broken Hill, or Kabwe, in Zambia (once part of Northern Rhodesia). Here is a stamp issued by Zambia on February 1, 1973 depicting the Broken Hill man skull (Kabwe skull). This stamp is one of the best in my origin of man stamps collection:

The stamp issued as one of five stamps in a set depicting paleontological findings in Zambia - beautiful set!!!

Homo rhodesiensis, as well as Homo neanderthalensis, Homo heidelbergensis and may also Homo antecessor, belong to a group called Archaic Homo sapiens. This category is contrasted with anatomically modern humans, which include Homo sapiens sapiens. Here is a stamp issued by Palau on March 15, 2000, dedicated to the group of Archaic humans:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 16 Apr 2016 03:33

Here are another two types of archaic Homo sapiens:

The Petralona man (Archanthropus europaeus petraloniensis) is among the oldest European hominid ever found. In 1960 a nearly complete skull was found in Petralona cave, near Thessaloniki, Greece. There are several controversies about the age and the species of this skull but the consensus among today's paleoanthropologists that the skull belongs to an archaic hominid distinguished from Homo erectus and both the classic Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans.

The Petralona skull, issued by Greece on March 15, 1982 publicizing the Pan-European anthropology conference held in Greece in that year:

The Florisbad Skull was discovered at the Florisbad site, South Africa, in 1932. The skull was classified as Homo helmei to mark its distinctiveness from Homo sapiens fossils. It is now generally either described as "archaic Homo sapiens" or assigned to H. heidelbergensis.

Florisbad skull, issued by South Africa on June 28, 1998 as one of a set entiteled "Early SA history":

A special postmark depicting the Florisbad skull was applied on the day of issue:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 26 Apr 2016 03:32

From the different subspecies of Homo sapiens ( Latin: "wise man"), only one, the modern human (Homo sapiens sapiens), is the only surviving subspecies.

Modern human (H. sapiens sapiens), issued by Cambodia on October 25, 2001:

Cro-Magnon is a common name that has been used to describe the first early modern humans (early Homo sapiens sapiens) that lived in the European Upper Paleolithic. Current scientific literature prefers the term European early modern humans (EEMH), to the term Cro-Magnon, which has no formal taxonomic status, as it refers neither to a species or subspecies nor to an archaeological phase or culture. The earliest known remains of Cro-Magnon-like humans are dated to 43-45,000 years before present that have been discovered in Italy and Britain, with the remains found of those that reached the European Russian Arctic 40,000 years ago.

Cro-Magnon man, issued by Cuba on March 31, 1967:

Wajak 1 skull, early H. sapiens founded in Java, issued by Indonesia on August 31, 1989 to commemorate the centenary of paleoanthropology in Indonesia (1889 - 1989):

Modern human roam the earth, issued by Palau on March 15, 2000:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 07 May 2016 17:19

Homo sapiens sapiens made stone tools such as flakes, scrapers and points that were similar in design to those made by the Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis). This technology appeared about 250,000 years ago, coinciding with the probable first appearance of early Homo sapiens. Here are several stamps depicting early stone tools:

Point from Chad national museum, designed and engraved by Pierre Gandon and issued by Chad on December 11, 1966:

Disk and ax, issued for use in Afars and Issas on September 7, 1973:

Using stone tools, issued by North Korea on February 21, 1990:

Postal stationery from East Germany issued 1982 depicting stone tool from Kreismuseum in Finsterwalde:

Eli · Post by **Eli** » 18 May 2016 02:41

With time, Homo sapiens developed more sophisticated wood and stone tools as a weapon for hunting.

Arrows, issued by South Korea on October 2, 1999:

Cro Magnon hunter holding wood weapon, issued by Cuba on October 30, 1997:

A group of Homo sapiens hunters using stone and wood tools, issued by Cuba on August 10, 2008:

With such stone tool, who can resist???