The Jawbone of One of Humankind’s Earliest Ancestors

The prestigious lecture halls of Heidelberg University, the oldest university in Germany, are understandably a big draw for the throngs of tourists that visit the city. However, on the grounds of the university’s more modern buildings in the less-explored parts of town north of the river lies a hidden gem that is a must see-for geologists, anthropologists, and science-lovers.

Behind the unassuming doors of Building 234 is the Heidelberg University Geological Museum, a collection of rocks, minerals, and fossils that the geology department has slowly amassed over the university’s long history. Cabinet after cabinet detail the Earth’s 4.8 billion years of rocky history. But one artifact in particular holds a special place; after all it’s not often that you can gaze upon an object that redefined human evolution.