ATAPUERCA

Today we will talk about The Sierra de Atapuerca, which was declared Area of Natural Interest, a Cultural and Heritage thanks to archaeological findings and paleontological there inside, among which fossils, at least four different hominid species: Homo sp. Sima del Elefante, Homo antecessor, Homo heidelbergensis and Homo sapiens.

The mining railway went through one of the caves destroying fossil hominid. Found the most primitive stone tools, at the base of the Gran Dolina (dated about 900,000 years ago) and soon after, several skulls were found in the Sima de los Huesos, including the famous skull number 5, dubbed Miguelón in honor of Miguel Indurain, giving international and scientific relevance to the site making it indispensable in studies of human evolution.

Shortly after would leave a rich record of tools along with human remains, all dated to 800,000 years confirming an ancient human presence in Europe. The following year confirmed, by studying the marks on the bones, a ritual cannibalism was practiced; this is the reference to Europe's oldest cannibalism. The excavations of the Sima del Elefante start. later became the site of great importance since a new human species, Homo antecessor is defined.

This is confirmed by the finding of a biface unused tool and conducted a prized material, called Excalibur, deposited as a tribute to a group member buried there.

This skull is the skull number 5 of the Sima de los Huesos, as it appeared in the 1992 campaign, in later campaigns jaw was exhumed.