Researchers from the University of Tübingen have identified a collection of human footprints dating back roughly 300,000 years, marking the oldest such traces found in Germany. The discovery, detailed in a study published in Quaternary Science Reviews, opens a vivid window into the lives of early humans who inhabited northern Europe during the Middle Pleistocene. The site sits beside a lake within the Schöningen Paleolithic complex in Lower Saxony, an area already renowned for its rich archaeological record. The footprints were laid down in damp sediments that preserved the impressions long enough to capture the positions and movements of people who stood there beside tall grasses and water’s edge, offering a quiet snapshot of daily life from a distant epoch. — source: University of Tübingen
Among the prints, researchers identified patterns that suggest the presence of Homo heidelbergensis, often called Heidelberg man, a species that walked this landscape long before modern humans. The human tracks formed a network around the lakeshore where animal footprints were also preserved, hinting at a mixed-use landscape. The implications are striking: this wasn’t a battlefield or a solitary hunting expedition, but a site where families or small groups may have spent time near the water—perhaps gathering food, observing animals, or simply resting in a familiar, resource-rich zone. The arrangement of prints, including marks attributable to children and teenagers, points to a family presence rather than a purely adult hunting party. The interpretation aligns with a scenario in which ancient families used the lakeside for nourishment, social interaction, and shelter from the elements in a broad, seasonal habit. — source: University of Tübingen
The study goes beyond human traces to examine other large creatures that frequented the same habitat. A notable 55-centimeter footprint is attributed to an extinct elephant species, Palaeoloxodon antiquus, renowned for its straight tusks and formidable size. The elephant tracks imply a mass of adults capable of reaching weights up to about 13 tons, underscoring the scale of megafauna present in the region during that period. In addition to the elephant impression, researchers documented footprints from several species of rhinoceros, including Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis and Stephanorhinus hemitoechus. These rhinoceroses appear to have traversed the lake’s banks, perhaps following water sources or seeking opportunistic grazing along the shore. Together, the footprints of humans and these giants suggest a shared landscape in which early people observed, avoided, or perhaps occasionally followed these impressive animals. The recurring presence of water and predictable animal paths would have shaped daily routines, mobility, and small social rituals in ways that left enduring impressions on the lakeshore sediments. — source: University of Tübingen