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The Bones of Atapuerca
A collection of old bones in Spain tells us our human story, both good and bad
Around 20km from the city of Burgos lies Atapuerca, a range of foothills that form part of the elevated terrain of northern central Spain. The hills are of the karstic type, formed by dissolved carbonate rocks, making them very old and very cave-y.
The full extent of this caveyness was revealed over a century ago when engineering works to cut a railway line opened up several rocky hollows in the hills. These hollows, it was soon discovered, contained evidence of earlier occupation. Much earlier.
The occupants were undoubtedly human. Inventory: in one cave, Portalón, ceramic objects were found. In another, Galería de la Eduarda y el Kolora, there were paintings on the wall. Other caves yielded stone tools, handaxes and the like. These items were no doubt linked to the organic findings; bones with evidence of having been butchered. Several of these belonged to carnivorous animals. Some were bovine. The remaining examples of these bones, likewise bearing the telltale marks of having been chopped, defleshed and prepared for the table were of human beings.
What kind of human beings? Let’s start with the plain facts. Researchers have discerned eleven individuals, all very young. The eldest three were…
