Applying electrical resistivity tomography to the identification of endokarstic geometries in the Pleistocene Sites of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain)

Researchers have identified distinct endokarstic geometries within the Torcas-Cueva Mayor system of Atapuerca, revealing critical insights into the subsurface structure that influenced Early and Middle Pleistocene hominid occupations. Using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), the study mapped 15 sections to distinguish between high-resistivity Upper Cretaceous limestones and dolostones (>1500 ohm m−1) and lower-resistivity Neogene and Quaternary sediments (<400 ohm m−1). The analysis uncovered karst passages with regular south-north development, interrupted by Pleistocene valley incisions that formed cave entrances occupied by hominids. These findings highlight the role of subsurface geology in shaping paleoenvironmental conditions at UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Atapuerca.

Ortega, A. I., Benito‐Calvo, A., Porres, J., Pérez‐González, A., & Martín Merino, M. A. (2010). Applying electrical resistivity tomography to the identification of endokarstic geometries in the Pleistocene Sites of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). Archaeological Prospection, 17(4), 233–245. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/arp.392