Burgos information
Atapuerca information
Atapuerca is a small municipality located 18 kilometres away from Burgos, on the northern slope of Sierra de Burgos, famous for the prehistoric archaeological sites found in its township.
Declared a World Heritage by UNESCO, the archaeological sites
of Sierra de Atapuerca are the only ones in Europe where it is
possible to follow the evolution of the first human beings to
inhabit the Old Continent, from approximately a million years
ago to very recent periods. The history of Atapuerca began in
1899, when the construction of a railway unveiled several archaeological
sites. But it was not until the 1960s that the most relevant research
began, thanks to the Edelweiss spelaeology group. This group pointed
out to mining engineer Trinidad Torres where to find cave bear
bones, information he needed in order to complete his doctoral
thesis. But when they began digging, they discovered very ancient
human bones at Cueva Mayor. Palaeontology professor Emiliano Aguirre
analysed and confirmed these findings, in what constituted the
first step towards a great scientific research project that began
in 1978, and continues today. The finding of important human remains
during the 1990s brought fame to Atapuerca, and allowed for a
deeper understanding of human evolution.
Source: Web server of Instituto de Turismo de España, TURESPAÑA.