History & heritage / Discovery · Jebel Irhoud

A discovery that rewrote human history

Fossils found at Jebel Irhoud date to about 300,000 years ago and changed the timeline of our species.

2017 · Research published 2017

The full picture

Beyond the number

Fossils found at Jebel Irhoud date to about 300,000 years ago and changed the timeline of our species.

Fossils were uncovered at Jebel Irhoud in Morocco, a site studied over decades.

Researchers identified them as among the earliest known Homo sapiens fossils, dating to roughly 300,000 years ago.

Then / Now

The next question

Further discoveries across Africa may add detail to our understanding of early humans.

Verify it

Image credits