Java << JAH vuh >> fossils are the remains of a type of prehistoric human being that lived from about 1,800,000 to 300,000 years ago. The Java people belonged to a now-extinct human species called Homo erectus (upright human being). All evidence of the Java people’s existence comes from fossils found in ancient stream and volcanic deposits on the island of Java, Indonesia. Eugene Dubois, a Dutch physician, discovered the first Java fossils in 1891. Since then, the fossilized remains of more than 40 individuals have been discovered.
The fossils show that the Java people had a large, projecting face with a low, sloping forehead and heavy browridges above the eyes. They had a thick skull and a massive jaw lacking a projecting chin.
See also Homo erectus.
