Homo heidelbergensis, “the first Europeans”, lived from ~700,000—250,000 years ago. Their migration to colder climates was made possible by their wider and shorter physical stature, controlled use of fire and natural/artificial shelters, and likely making of animal hide clothing. Their advances in tool technology included the stone-tipped wooden spear, which made hunting of larger prey possible. The artwork paints a portrait of these early humans by displaying scientifically derived knowledge about the era in which they existed, their place in the Homo family tree, their geographical spread and migration patterns, their facial features and physical stature, their skull and brain size, tools, weapons, and technology, and the key fossils leading to this knowledge.