Archaeologists working in Lower Saxony, have unearthed fossilized human footprints dating back about 300,000 years. The discovery, described in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, represents the oldest human tracks ever found in Germany. These impressions, attributed to the extinct species homo heidelbergensis, are preserved alongside the prints of elephants, rhinoceroses, and other animals, painting a vivid portrait of life in the Middle Pleistocene.
Footprints That Tell A Family Story
The site, located near an ancient lake in Schöningen, revealed three distinct human footprints. Two of them are believed to have been left by children or adolescents, while the third likely came from an adult.
According to the researchers, this combination suggests that the tracks were made during a family outing rather than a hunting expedition. As the team put it, “Based on the tracks, including those of children and juveniles, this was probably a family outing rather than a group of adult hunters.”
Unlike tools or bones, footprints capture movement itself—a fleeting moment frozen in mud. This detail makes the discovery especially powerful, allowing scientists to reconstruct not just the presence of these early humans, but also a snapshot of their social world.
Living Alongside Extinct Giants
Surrounding the human tracks were the preserved impressions of now-extinct animals. Researchers identified the footprints of palaeoloxodon antiquus, a colossal straight-tusked elephant that could weigh up to 13 tons. They also uncovered rhinoceros tracks, likely belonging to stephanorhinus kirchbergensis or stephanorhinus hemitoechus. According to the study, these are the first rhinoceros footprints ever documented in Europe.
The lakeshore acted as a crossroads for countless species. Herds of elephants, rhinos, and ungulates moved through the area, leaving their marks beside those of early humans. For homo heidelbergensis, sharing this environment with such megafauna created a delicate balance of opportunity and risk—resources were abundant, but survival required constant awareness of their massive neighbors.
In Lower Saxony, Germany, researchers identified the footprints at the Paleolithic site of Schöningen.
Credit: University of Tübingen
The Environment Of 300,000 Years Ago
At the time the prints were made, Schöningen was surrounded by birch and pine forests. Seasonal vegetation such as fruits, shoots, leaves, and mushrooms provided important food sources for early human groups.
“Depending on the season, plants, fruits, leaves, shoots, and mushrooms were available around the lake,” explained Flavio Altamura of the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tübingen. He added : “Our findings confirm that the extinct human species dwelled on lake or river shores with shallow water.”
The ancient landscape was both generous and challenging. Fresh water, edible plants, and hunting opportunities were available along the lakeshore, but these same environments were shared with elephants and rhinoceroses.
“We may suggest that a small hominin group that included children was walking among elephants and other species on the muddy shore of an ancient lake, perhaps looking for and collecting food, or bathing, or just playing there,” said Altamura.
A Fleeting Moment Preserved
The discovery at Schöningen goes far beyond the mere identification of ancient footprints—it represents a tangible connection to people who lived hundreds of thousands of years ago. Along a muddy lakeshore, a small family left their tracks beside those of elephants and rhinoceroses, offering an extraordinary glimpse into everyday life long before modern humans emerged.
For the first time, scientists can look directly at the ground and observe where early humans once walked—a fleeting moment preserved in mud that has endured as a timeless record of life.