The Human Species That Hunted Other Humans

Homo heidelbergensis, appearing around 700,000 years ago and surviving until about 200,000 years ago, is one of the earliest human species associated with systematic hunting of large mammals—and possibly of other hominins. Fossils like the Bodo skull from Ethiopia, showing deep cut marks, suggest acts of cannibalism or ritual defleshing. Measuring approximately 1.75 meters tall and weighing 60 to 70 kilograms, they possessed brain volumes between 1100 and 1400 cm³, nearing that of modern humans. Evidence from sites such as Schöningen, Germany, with wooden spears over 2 meters long, indicates coordinated group hunts. Homo heidelbergensis is a key ancestor to both Neanderthals in Europe and Homo sapiens in Africa, marking a critical evolutionary bridge in human history.