Les sédiments d' Homo Antecessor de Gran Dolina, (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Espagne). Interprétation micromorphologique des processus de formation et enregistrement paléoenvironnemental des sédiments

Abstract

Homo antecessor Sediments of Gran Dolina (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). Micromorphological Interpretation of the Formation Process and Paleoenvironmental Record of the Sediments. Sedimentary studies using large format thin-section is an integrated approach for a contextual background of Homo antecessor remains at TD6 in Gran Dolina. This integrated contextual approach begins with an archaeostratigraphical study of human remains. The archaeostratigraphical results confronted sedimentary analyses show the difficulties for separating the human remains of diachronical occupations in TD6 level, named Aurora Stratum archaeostratigraphical (ASa). Evidence of diachronic occupation is confirmed by sedimentary analyses. The sedimentary analyses of ASa show a microstrafied sedimentary context suggesting a possible sedimentary synchrony of the human remains, named Aurora Stratum (AS). Microscopic analyses of non-disturbed ASa sediments show that the sedimentation was hydric, low energy and buried rapidely. Palaeoenvironmental interpretation is based on pedosedimentary evidences recorded at Gran Dolina. The rapide environmental changements recorded in the microstratified sequence of ASa allow us to propose a chronoclimatic interpretation. Human occupations in ASa and AS of TD6 are of glacial period during the Later Lower Pleistocene.