Archaeologist Lutz: ‘We really weren’t expecting this tremendous discovery’
The great ape teeth found in Eppelsheim last year could topple the understanding of our earliest history. Herbert Lutz, head of the excavation team, tells DW what the find means to him - and how it almost didn’t happen. 
A little over a year ago, a team of archaeologists in southwestern Germany uncovered two teeth where the Rhine River used to flow, in the town of Eppelsheim near Mainz. The news of the discovery was announced officially this week, because the team that performed the excavation wanted to make sure that what they had found was as significant as they initially thought. Herbert Lutz heads that team at the Natural History Museum in Mainz. Herbert Lutz: It's completely new to science, and it is a big surprise because nobody had expected such a tremendous, extremely rare discovery. To find a completely new species? Nobody expected that. DW: Why were you looking at this precise location? We were excavating riverbed sediments of the proto-Rhine River near Eppelsheim. These sediments are approximately 10 million years old and are well known in science, ever since the first fossils were excavated here in the early 19th century. And how old are the teeth you've found? Around 9.7 million years old. What does a 9.7-million-year-old tooth look like? It's perfectly preserved. It actually looks like a new excellent tooth; however, it's no longer white. It's shining like amber. No less has been said about this tooth than that the history of mankind now has to be rewritten… Well you know it's a question that's been discussed for decades. New discoveries lead to new insights that may contribute to our knowledge about our own history, and this finding has that potential because the great ape species has a relationship to Homo sapiens. Read more: Neanderthals dined on woolly rhinos and used aspirin So what's the big groundbreaking knowledge here? The groundbreaking knowledge is that we have comparable finds only in East Africa. And these are much, much younger. These species are well known as Ardi and Lucy, and their canines look very similar to the one here from Eppelsheim, but they are only two, three, four or five million years old, and Eppelsheim is almost 10. So the question is: What has happened? You mean - how this great ape got up to the Rhine valley, or whether the species in Africa came from Europe? Yeah, we have similar species in Africa, but we don't know where this great ape came from. We do not have comparable finds from southern Europe, even from in between maybe Greece or Turkey. From there, we know of great ape fossils, but they all look much different. And so it's a great mystery. So this is the lone Rhineland monkey whose teeth have been found. Can the general public see the discovery? Until Sunday, yes, they are in our exhibition in the museum in Mainz. And most likely about mid November they will be on display in a great exhibition in the Landesmuseum in Mainz. Professor Lutz, can you give us a sense of how important this finding was to you personally? Well, we've been digging at this site for 17 years now. And when we started, of course everybody knew it had the potential to yield hominoid fossils. We were always waiting for such a find. But at the end of 2016, we decided to finish the excavation and just in the last second, if you will, these two teeth came to light. We really weren't expecting such a tremendous discovery. So for us now it's clear we have to continue, and we will continue. And, well, I think it's a big luck to experience such an exciting story. I did not expect it. Professor Herbert Lutz is deputy director of the Natural History Museum in Mainz. His focus is geological and paleontological excavation.
Archaeologist
Lutz
Lutz,_Florida Lutz_jump Lutz Chris_Lutz Adolfo_Lutz Lütz Christopher_Lutz Meyer_Lutz Bob_Lutz_(tennis) J.D._Lutz Lutz_Heck Werner_Lutz Kellan_Lutz Lutz_Hoffmann
Eppelsheim
Eppelsheim
Herbert Lutz
DW
Drum_Workshop Deutsche_Welle DW-TV Defender_(association_football) Dreamworld_(Australian_theme_park) Data_warehouse Delhi_Wizards D.W._Read DW Discworld
Germany
Germany Germany_national_football_team Nazi_Germany German_Empire Germany_women's_national_football_team Weimar_Republic German_Football_Association ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Germany GfK_Entertainment_Charts Germany_national_youth_football_team A1_Team_Germany Germany_national_rugby_union_team Kingdom_of_Germany German_literature Germany_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Same-sex_marriage_in_Germany
Rhine River
Rhine Nederrijn
Eppelsheim
Eppelsheim
Mainz
Mainz Electorate_of_Mainz Mainz_Hauptbahnhof 1._FSV_Mainz_05 Johannes_Gutenberg_University_Mainz Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Mainz Battle_of_Mainz Elector_of_Mainz Mainz_Cathedral Fortress_of_Mainz Siege_of_Mainz_(1793) SMS_Mainz Siege_of_Mainz_(1792) Mainz_carnival Siege_of_Mainz_(1814) Mainz_(journal)
Herbert Lutz
Natural History Museum
Natural_History_Museum,_London Natural_history_museum Natural_History_Museum_(Ireland) Natural_History_Museum,_Vienna Natural_History_Museum_of_Los_Angeles_County National_Museum_of_Natural_History_(France) List_of_natural_history_museums Natural_History_Museum,_Berlin Natural_History_Museum_of_Denmark Natural_History_Museum_at_the_University_of_Oslo Natural_History_Museum_Rotterdam Natural_History_Museum_of_Basel Natural_History_Museum,_Aarhus Museo_Civico_di_Storia_Naturale_di_Milano San_Diego_Natural_History_Museum University_of_Kansas_Natural_History_Museum
Mainz
Mainz Electorate_of_Mainz Mainz_Hauptbahnhof 1._FSV_Mainz_05 Johannes_Gutenberg_University_Mainz Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Mainz Battle_of_Mainz Elector_of_Mainz Mainz_Cathedral Fortress_of_Mainz Siege_of_Mainz_(1793) SMS_Mainz Siege_of_Mainz_(1792) Mainz_carnival Siege_of_Mainz_(1814) Mainz_(journal)
Herbert Lutz
DW
Drum_Workshop Deutsche_Welle DW-TV Defender_(association_football) Dreamworld_(Australian_theme_park) Data_warehouse Delhi_Wizards D.W._Read DW Discworld
Rhine River
Rhine Nederrijn
Eppelsheim
Eppelsheim
early 19th century
Homo sapiens
Homo_sapiens Human Archaic_humans Homo_Sapiens_(band) Homo_Sapiens_(song) Homo_sapiens_(novel) Anatomically_modern_humans European_early_modern_humans Homo_sapiens_(disambiguation) Homo_Sapiens_(album) Mensch Homo_Sapiens_Sapiens Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans
Neanderthals
Neanderthal Neanderthal_genetics Neanderthals_(anthology) Neanderthals_in_Gibraltar
woolly rhinos
Woolly_rhinoceros
East Africa
East_Africa East_Africa_cricket_team East_Africa_rugby_union_team East_African_Campaign_(World_War_I) East_African_Campaign_(World_War_II) German_East_Africa East_Africa_Protectorate Italian_East_Africa Africa History_of_East_Africa East_African_Community CECAFA Northeast_Bantu_languages East_African_mangroves East_African_Railways_and_Harbours_Corporation Kenya
Ardi
Ardi ARDI Cross-cultural_communication
Lucy
Lucy_(2014_film) Lucy_(Australopithecus) Lucy_van_Pelt Lucy_(spacecraft) Lucy_Pevensie Lucy Lucy_Beale Lucy_Robinson_(Neighbours) Lucy_(2003_film) Saint_Lucy Lucy_(Candlebox_album) Daffney Lucy_Ewing Lucy_and_Ricky_Ricardo Lucy_Westenra Lucy_Hawking
Eppelsheim
Eppelsheim
Eppelsheim
Eppelsheim
Rhine valley
Rhine Alpine_Rhine Rhine_Valley Upper_Rhine Middle_Rhine Upper_Rhine_Plain Mannheim–Karlsruhe–Basel_railway High_Rhine Rheintal_(Wahlkreis) Rhine_Gorge
Africa
Africa Africa_(Roman_province) Africa_(Toto_song) Poverty_in_Africa Confederation_of_African_Football Confederation_of_African_Athletics African_Cricket_Association Africa_(TV_series) United_Nations_geoscheme_for_Africa Africa_(Petrarch) Africa_(Karl_Wolf_song) Praetorian_prefecture_of_Africa Languages_of_Africa Squash_Federation_of_Africa Music_of_Africa Exarchate_of_Africa
Europe
Europe UEFA Europe_(band) UEFA_competitions European_Athletic_Association European_theatre_of_World_War_II European_Union Europe_(dinghy) European_Cricket_Council UEFA_Champions_League Senior_League_World_Series_(Europe–Africa_Region) Big_League_World_Series_(Europe–Africa_Region) Sailing_at_the_2004_Summer_Olympics_–_Europe Neolithic_Europe History_of_Europe Europe_(magazine)
Africa
Africa Africa_(Roman_province) Africa_(Toto_song) Poverty_in_Africa Confederation_of_African_Football Confederation_of_African_Athletics African_Cricket_Association Africa_(TV_series) United_Nations_geoscheme_for_Africa Africa_(Petrarch) Africa_(Karl_Wolf_song) Praetorian_prefecture_of_Africa Languages_of_Africa Squash_Federation_of_Africa Music_of_Africa Exarchate_of_Africa
Europe
Europe UEFA Europe_(band) UEFA_competitions European_Athletic_Association European_theatre_of_World_War_II European_Union Europe_(dinghy) European_Cricket_Council UEFA_Champions_League Senior_League_World_Series_(Europe–Africa_Region) Big_League_World_Series_(Europe–Africa_Region) Sailing_at_the_2004_Summer_Olympics_–_Europe Neolithic_Europe History_of_Europe Europe_(magazine)
Greece
Greece Greece_national_football_team Kingdom_of_Greece Ancient_Greece Greece_national_basketball_team Greek_Basket_League Hellenic_Football_Federation Battle_of_Greece Recognition_of_same-sex_unions_in_Greece Greece_(town),_New_York Greece_national_under-21_football_team Greece_women's_national_football_team Greece_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest Second_Hellenic_Republic Greece_Fed_Cup_team Greece_(European_Parliament_constituency)
Turkey
Turkey Turkey_national_football_team Turkey_(bird) Basketbol_Süper_Ligi Turkish_Football_Federation Turkey_as_food Ottoman_Empire Wild_turkey Turkey_national_basketball_team ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Turkey Domestic_turkey Turkey_national_under-21_football_team Turkey_Fed_Cup_team Turkey_national_under-19_football_team Turkey_women's_national_football_team Turkey_women's_national_volleyball_team
Rhineland
Rhineland Rhineland_(electoral_district) Allied_advance_from_Paris_to_the_Rhine Rhine_Province Rhineland_Campaign Rhineland,_Missouri Operation_Veritable Rural_Municipality_of_Rhineland Rhineland_Cup Occupation_of_the_Rhineland Electoral_Palatinate Rhenish_Republic Rhine Rhineland,_Texas Municipality_of_Rhineland Western_Allied_invasion_of_Germany
Sunday
Mainz
Mainz Electorate_of_Mainz Mainz_Hauptbahnhof 1._FSV_Mainz_05 Johannes_Gutenberg_University_Mainz Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Mainz Battle_of_Mainz Elector_of_Mainz Mainz_Cathedral Fortress_of_Mainz Siege_of_Mainz_(1793) SMS_Mainz Siege_of_Mainz_(1792) Mainz_carnival Siege_of_Mainz_(1814) Mainz_(journal)
November
Landesmuseum
Swiss_National_Museum Rheinisches_Landesmuseum_Bonn Landesmuseum_Mainz Landesmuseum_Württemberg Universalmuseum_Joanneum
Mainz
Mainz Electorate_of_Mainz Mainz_Hauptbahnhof 1._FSV_Mainz_05 Johannes_Gutenberg_University_Mainz Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Mainz Battle_of_Mainz Elector_of_Mainz Mainz_Cathedral Fortress_of_Mainz Siege_of_Mainz_(1793) SMS_Mainz Siege_of_Mainz_(1792) Mainz_carnival Siege_of_Mainz_(1814) Mainz_(journal)
Professor
Lutz
Lutz,_Florida Lutz_jump Lutz Chris_Lutz Adolfo_Lutz Lütz Christopher_Lutz Meyer_Lutz Bob_Lutz_(tennis) J.D._Lutz Lutz_Heck Werner_Lutz Kellan_Lutz Lutz_Hoffmann
2016
Professor
Herbert Lutz
Natural History Museum
Natural_History_Museum,_London Natural_history_museum Natural_History_Museum_(Ireland) Natural_History_Museum,_Vienna Natural_History_Museum_of_Los_Angeles_County National_Museum_of_Natural_History_(France) List_of_natural_history_museums Natural_History_Museum,_Berlin Natural_History_Museum_of_Denmark Natural_History_Museum_at_the_University_of_Oslo Natural_History_Museum_Rotterdam Natural_History_Museum_of_Basel Natural_History_Museum,_Aarhus Museo_Civico_di_Storia_Naturale_di_Milano San_Diego_Natural_History_Museum University_of_Kansas_Natural_History_Museum
Mainz
Mainz Electorate_of_Mainz Mainz_Hauptbahnhof 1._FSV_Mainz_05 Johannes_Gutenberg_University_Mainz Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Mainz Battle_of_Mainz Elector_of_Mainz Mainz_Cathedral Fortress_of_Mainz Siege_of_Mainz_(1793) SMS_Mainz Siege_of_Mainz_(1792) Mainz_carnival Siege_of_Mainz_(1814) Mainz_(journal)
Eppelsheim
Eppelsheim
slot::in slot::keyword topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe2 type::location
Herbert Lutz
gender::male iptc::05000000 slot::head slot::keyword topic::education type::entity type::person type::teacher
Natural History Museum
Römisch-Germanisches_Zentralmuseum_(Mainz)
slot::keyword type::entity type::facility type::location
Archaeologist
topic::none type::role type::value
DW
Deutsche_Welle
topic::media type::entity type::media type::organization
Germany
Germany
slot::in topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe0 type::location
Rhine River
Rhine
topic::none type::entity type::location type::waterbody
Mainz
Mainz
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe2 type::location
early 19th century
topic::none type::time type::value
Homo sapiens
Homo_sapiens
iptc::13000000 topic::science type::entity type::misc type::species
Neanderthals
Neanderthal
iptc::13000000 topic::science type::entity type::misc type::species
woolly rhinos
iptc::13000000 topic::science type::entity type::misc type::species
East Africa
East_Africa
topic::none type::entity type::location type::regio
Ardi
Ardi
gender::female meta::todo topic::none type::entity type::person
Lucy
Lucy_(Australopithecus)
gender::female meta::todo topic::none type::entity type::person
Rhine valley
topic::none type::entity type::location type::regio
Africa
Africa
topic::none type::entity type::location type::regio
Europe
Europe
topic::none type::entity type::location type::regio
Greece
Greece
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe0 type::location
Turkey
Turkey
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe0 type::location
Rhineland
Rhineland
topic::none type::entity type::location type::regio
Sunday
topic::none type::time type::value
November
topic::none type::time type::value
Landesmuseum
Landesmuseum_Mainz
type::entity type::facility type::location
Professor
topic::none type::role type::value
2016
topic::none type::time type::value