100,000-Year-Old Human at Home on the Subway
Originally published in July 1948
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
“Was the beetle-browed Neanderthal man really our ancestor, or an unhappy cousin doomed to extinction? Is Homo sapiens a recent arrival in Europe? Last August, in a quiet French village in the Department of Charente, the mystery was solved when a few fragments of an old skull were brushed carefully out of the ancient clays. The most curious fact is that it was a skull very much like your own. There is nothing Neanderthaloid about it. It is within the size range of living females: this woman could have sat across from you on the subway and you would not have screamed. You might even have smiled. The lady of Charente places modern humans on the European Continent over 100,000 years ago.”
—Scientific American, July 1948
More gems from Scientific American’s first 175 years can be found on our anniversary archive page.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
