Early human fossils are very rare, particularly in Britain where they have been found on only two sites. Part of a leg bone and two teeth were found at Boxgrove, Sussex, and part of a skull at Swanscombe, Kent.

The leg bone from Boxgrove dates to about 500,000 years ago and is from a robust man who stood over six feet tall. It is thought that he was an early form of human called Homo heidelbergensis. This species was named after a fossil that was found at Mauer, near Heidelberg in Germany. Analysis of wear on the Boxgrove teeth suggests that he lived primarily on a vegetarian diet, despite the clear evidence of hunting at the site.

The Swanscombe skull was from a woman and dates to about 400,000 years ago. Study of the skull suggests that her ancestors were a similar species to the humans from Boxgrove. However, there are also features on the skull that are like those found on early Neanderthals.

The evidence from Boxgrove and Swanscombe seems to show the evolution from the first Europeans to very early Neanderthals.