Sierra de Atapuerca | |
 Atapuerca Mountains panorama | |
  Atapuerca Mountains Location in Spain Show map of Province of Burgos Atapuerca Mountains Atapuerca Mountains (Castile and León) Show map of Castile and León Atapuerca Mountains Atapuerca Mountains (Spain) Show map of Spain | |
| Location | nearAtapuerca,Ibeas de Juarros |
|---|---|
| Region | Burgos,Castile and León |
| Coordinates | 42°22′0″N3°31′20″W / 42.36667°N 3.52222°W /42.36667; -3.52222 |
| History | |
| Periods | Paleolithic |
| Associated with | Homo antecessor,Homo heidelbergensis,Homo neanderthalensis |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | since 1964 |
| Archaeologists | Francisco Jordá Cerdá |
| Website | http://www.atapuerca.org/ |
 Interactive map of Atapuerca Mountains | |
| Official name | Archaeological Site of Atapuerca |
| Criteria | Cultural: (iii)(v) |
| Reference | 989 |
| Inscription | 2000 (24thSession) |
| Area | 284.119 ha (702.07 acres) |
TheAtapuerca Mountains (Spanish:Sierra de Atapuerca) is akarstic hill formation near the village ofAtapuerca in theprovince of Burgos (autonomous community ofCastile and Leon), northern Spain.
In a still ongoing excavation campaign, richfossil deposits and stone toolassemblages have been discovered which are attributed to the earliest knownhominin residents inWestern Europe.[1] This "exceptional reserve of data" has been deposited during extensiveLower Paleolithic presence, as the Atapuerca Mountains served as the preferred occupation site ofHomo erectus,Homo antecessor,Homo heidelbergensis andHomo neanderthalensis[2] communities. The earliest specimen so far unearthed and reliably dated confirm an age between 1.2 million and 630,000 years. Some finds are exhibited in the nearbyMuseum of Human Evolution, inBurgos.
Encompassing 284,119 hectares (702,070 acres), the Atapuerca Mountains are amid-altitudekarstic range of small foothills around 1,080 m (3,540 ft) above sea level. They are located at the north-east corner of theDouro basin, to the south of theCantabrian Mountains that run across northern Spain,[3] and stretch alongside theBureba corridor, a mountain pass that connects theEbro river valley with theMediterranean Sea and theDuero basin. This conjunction[clarification needed] constitutes anecotone, which is rich in species of bothecosystems. The mountain pass was part of acauseway built by theRomans, as well as part of thepilgrimage route ofSaint James; it is now traversed by theN-1 road andAP-1 highways. The mountains are strategically located between two majordrainage divides and near the mountain pass; this location is assumed to have been a factor in the area's successful and prolonged hominid habitation.[4][5]
In 2008 scholars identified a newgenus and species ofred-toothed shrew from thePleistocene layers of the Gran Dolina cave. Until this discovery, researchers had believed that the fossils found in this area were of theBeremendia fissidens type, but recent research has been published to support an Asiatic type calledDolinasorex glyphodon that might be endemic and is the earliest known type ofsoricid in the Iberian peninsula.[6]
Piedrahita ("standing stone") in the Atapuerca valley is according to records site of theBattle of Atapuerca, which took place in 1054 between the forces ofFerdinand I of Castile and his brotherGarcía V of Navarre.
Apart from the typicaldryland farming of the region, the municipality has grown significantly in economic, demographic and social level with the impact generated by the presence of thearchaeological site and its associated services. 15% of the active population owns a job related to tourism. This "tertiarization" of their economy has reversed depopulation by growing and rejuvenating it (with the average age at 42 years).[9]
