Abstract
The Sierra de Atapuerca in northern Spain is renowned for the presence of numerous Pleistocene and Holocene sites which have yielded abundant human fossils and archaeological materials. The Sima del Elefante site documents the earliest human occupation in Europe, at just over a million years ago. The human fossils from the site of Gran Dolina have been attributed to a new species of hominin, Homo antecessor , and show evidence of early cannibalistic practices. The Sima de los Huesos has yielded thousands of human bones dating to around 430,000 years ago and representing Neandertal ancestors. The site has been interpreted as documenting early funerary practices and perhaps symbolic behavior. Evidence of human presence in the Sierra during the Late Pleistocene is also found at the Galería de Estatuas site as well as several open air localities. The more recent prehistoric sites of El Mirador and El Portalón contain evidence of human activities during Neolithic and Bronze Age times.
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