Samu (Homo erectus)
Encyclopedia
"Samu" is the nickname given to a prehistoric man whose remains were found in 1965 near Vértesszőlős
, Hungary
. He was a late Homo erectus
, somewhere between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens. Only a part of the occipital bone was found. He lived about 350,000 years ago.
The archaeological site was discovered by Márton Pécsi in 1962; the occipital bone was found three years later during a dig led by László Vértes. Since it was found on August 21, the name day
of Sámuel, it was named Samu (Hungarian version of Sam). Two child teeth were also found. Samu was able to use stone tools and fire.
The remains can be viewed in the local Vértesszőlős Museum. Also on display are some of his stone and bone tools, a prehistoric footprint, animal and plant remains.
In early 2009 news sources reported that a fourteen-year-old girl vandalised the remains. Since the museum was at that time closed for winter and was inspected once a week, the vandalism is assumed having taken place between January 28 and February 4. On February 9 it was reported that the Vértesszőlős museum only housed a replica of the prehistoric bone, and the original is safe in the Hungarian National Museum
in Budapest
.
Samu has also became a figure in pop culture in the past decades. Plastic skeletons shown in biology classes in schools are almost universally called Samu by students.
Vértesszolos
Vértesszőlős is a village in Komárom-Esztergom county, Hungary. It is most known for the archaeological site where the remains of "Samu", a prehistoric man were found.- External links :*...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. He was a late Homo erectus
Homo erectus
Homo erectus is an extinct species of hominid that lived from the end of the Pliocene epoch to the later Pleistocene, about . The species originated in Africa and spread as far as India, China and Java. There is still disagreement on the subject of the classification, ancestry, and progeny of H...
, somewhere between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens. Only a part of the occipital bone was found. He lived about 350,000 years ago.
The archaeological site was discovered by Márton Pécsi in 1962; the occipital bone was found three years later during a dig led by László Vértes. Since it was found on August 21, the name day
Name day
A name day is a tradition in many countries in Europe and Latin America that consists of celebrating the day of the year associated with one's given name....
of Sámuel, it was named Samu (Hungarian version of Sam). Two child teeth were also found. Samu was able to use stone tools and fire.
The remains can be viewed in the local Vértesszőlős Museum. Also on display are some of his stone and bone tools, a prehistoric footprint, animal and plant remains.
In early 2009 news sources reported that a fourteen-year-old girl vandalised the remains. Since the museum was at that time closed for winter and was inspected once a week, the vandalism is assumed having taken place between January 28 and February 4. On February 9 it was reported that the Vértesszőlős museum only housed a replica of the prehistoric bone, and the original is safe in the Hungarian National Museum
Hungarian National Museum
- History:The Hungarian National Museum is said to have been founded in 1802 when Count Ferenc Széchényi set up the National Széchényi Library. This would then be followed a year later by the donating of a mineral collection by Széchényi’s wife. This led to the creation of the Hungarian National...
in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
Samu has also became a figure in pop culture in the past decades. Plastic skeletons shown in biology classes in schools are almost universally called Samu by students.