In a historic moment for paleoanthropology, the sites in the Sierra de Atapuerca have once again become the center of global attention thanks to the new remains of Homo antecessor found in the TD6 unit of the Gran Dolina. These discoveries mark a milestone in archaeological and anthropological research, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the first finding of this species in the same location, opening a new era full of expectations and promises in the study of human evolution.
The excavation work, which began on June 18 and concluded on July 24, involved more than 300 researchers from various parts of the world. The participation of IPHES-CERCA has been particularly notable, with around 120 researchers and technicians, as well as faculty and students from the inter-university master’s program in Quaternary Archaeology and Human Evolution (Erasmus Mundus) of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV). This multidisciplinary team has carried out exhaustive coordination and active participation in five key sites, ensuring that each discovery is documented and analyzed with the utmost scientific rigor.
In the Gran Dolina, specifically in the TD6 unit, new remains of Homo antecessor have appeared. The project co-directors, Dr. Eudald Carbonell, Dr. José María Bermúdez de Castro, and Dr. Juan Luis Arsuaga, have described this excavation campaign as one of the most important in the project’s history: Undoubtedly, the star discovery of this year has been the new human remains of Homo antecessor recovered in the TD6 unit of Gran Dolina, approximately 850,000 years old.
Three decades ago, a small survey at this site revealed the first remains of this species along with thousands of pieces of lithic industry and animal fossils. Now, the team has confirmed that the TD6 unit is in optimal conditions to continue revealing its secrets.
The Importance of the New Findings
Dr. Marina Mosquera, director of IPHES-CERCA, highlighted the excitement and relief upon discovering that the TD6 unit is well-preserved over an extensive area of more than 40 square meters. The presence of an accumulation of hyena coprolites, identified in previous layers, suggests the existence of a unique paleobiological context. Additionally, the findings include fragments of a skull, mandible, vertebrae, and an incisor tooth of Homo antecessor, as well as a small wrist bone. This tooth has been particularly revealing, suggesting the presence of an adult individual, possibly a woman about 25 years old, not previously identified.
Work at the Sima del Elefante has also yielded valuable results. Here, researchers have completed the excavation of the clay layer at level TE7, which had already produced significant remains, such as the human named “Pink” in 2022 and lithic tools in 2023. This year, a quartz flake and a herbivore rib with cut marks have been discovered, offering a more detailed view of how the earliest hominins lived between 1.2 and 1.4 million years ago.
Meanwhile, at the Galería site, work has focused on Subunit GIIb, with an approximate age of 300,000 years. In this location, 500 faunal remains and more than 30 lithic tools have been recovered. The findings support the theory that pre-Neanderthal societies used this site expediently to obtain faunal resources, making it a reference point in the Sierra de Atapuerca.
Advances in Cueva Fantasma have been equally significant. Teams have worked in two distinct sectors: the entrance sector, where Neanderthal occupations are documented, and the Sala Fantasma, an ancient hyena den. In the entrance sector, an important collection of lithic tools and bones with evidence of human activity has been recovered. In the Sala Fantasma, a large accumulation of animal remains has been found, indicating intensive hyena activity about 50,000 years ago.
Lastly, the El Mirador cave has provided findings of rock art and Neolithic artifacts. A stone block with red pigment and pottery decorated with sun motifs stand out among the discoveries, suggesting the presence of farming and herding communities in the region about 7,000 years ago.
The washing and screening of sediments in the Arlanzón River, with approximately 15 tons of material processed, have revealed remains of small vertebrates that enrich the area’s paleontological context. These findings consolidate the Sierra de Atapuerca as an exceptional site for understanding human history.
With the success of the 2024 campaign, researchers look to the future with optimism, anticipating even more surprising discoveries in the coming years that promise to redefine our understanding of human evolution in Europe.
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