Archaeological Site of Atapuerca

World Heritage Research

Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Archaeological Site of Atapuerca from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.

• Landscape evolution and chronostratigraphic correlations of the cave entrance depositional environments and palaeosols of the Gran Dolina unit TD10 (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain)

  A detailed analysis of the Gran Dolina Unit TD10 at the Atapuerca archaeological site reveals the complex evolution of cave entrance deposits, transitioning from talus scree to stratified slope deposits. The study identifies three distinct lithostratigraphic units (TD10a, TD10b, TD10c) and correlates them with marine isotopic stages using Bayesian chronostratigraphic modeling, providing insights into Middle Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental conditions. Field observations and microscopic analysis of sedimentary microfacies, combined with palaeoecological reconstructions, shed light on the formation processes of prehistoric soils and archaeological records. The research highlights chronological uncertainties between Bayesian dates and buried palaeosols, offering a refined understanding of the site's depositional history.

  Warnitz, L., Martín-Perea, D. M., Ollé, A., Saladié, P., Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A., Mosquera, M., Parés, J. M., Carbonell, E., & Vallverdú, J. (2025). Landscape evolution and chronostratigraphic correlations of the cave entrance depositional environments and palaeosols of the Gran Dolina unit TD10 (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). Catena, 258, 109191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2025.109191

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• Southernmost Eurasian Record of Reindeer (Rangifer) in MIS 8 at Galería (Atapuerca, Spain): Evidence of Progressive Southern Expansion of Glacial Fauna Across Climatic Cycles

  A reindeer (Rangifer) tooth from the Atapuerca site, Spain, provides the southernmost Eurasian record of glacial fauna during Marine Isotope Stage 8 (~300–243 ka), predating previous evidence by ~100,000 years. This discovery challenges assumptions about the timing and intensity of glacial conditions in the Iberian Peninsula, suggesting that cold-adapted ecosystems expanded earlier and more extensively than previously believed. The fossil's morphological analysis, alongside archaeological context—including human fossils and lithic artifacts from Units GII and GIII—reveals that early humans coexisted with these species during colder climates. This study advances understanding of biogeographical patterns in Pleistocene glacial fauna and human adaptability across climatic cycles.

  van der Made, J., Lazagabaster, I. A., García-Medrano, P., & Cáceres, I. (2025). Southernmost Eurasian Record of Reindeer (Rangifer) in MIS 8 at Galería (Atapuerca, Spain): Evidence of Progressive Southern Expansion of Glacial Fauna Across Climatic Cycles. Quaternary, 8(3), 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8030043

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• Intriguing Occupations at Gran Dolina (Atapuerca, Spain): the Acheulean Subunits TD10.3 and TD10.4

  A groundbreaking analysis of the Acheulean subunits TD10.3 and TD10.4 at Gran Dolina, Atapuerca, reveals evidence of complex hominin occupations dating to approximately 400,000 years ago. The study, combining zooarchaeological, technological, use-wear, and spatial analyses, identifies a pattern of short, sporadic occupations characterized by the presence of large-shaped tools, hammerstones, manuports, and possible thrusting stone spear tips—a first in the Pleistocene record at Atapuerca. Unlike other subunits, TD10.3 shows exceptional faunal preservation with minimal anthropogenic modifications, while both units exhibit well-developed Acheulean technology. The research suggests that these subunits formed during a period of cave reopening, supported by evidence of fallen blocks and low sediment disturbance. The findings are compared with other western European sites, including the nearby Galería, highlighting similarities in occupational models.

  Mosquera, M., Ollé, A., Saladié, P., Arroyo, A., Asryan, L., Bargalló, A., de Lombera-Hermida, A., Fernández-Marchena, J. L., García-Medrano, P., Lombao, D., Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A., Soto, M., Vallverdú, J., Arteaga-Brieba, A., Villalobos, J., Yeşilova, G.-C., & Carbonell, E. (2024). Intriguing Occupations at Gran Dolina (Atapuerca, Spain): the Acheulean Subunits TD10.3 and TD10.4. Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41982-024-00171-5

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• Dogs from the past: Exploring morphology in mandibles from Iberian archaeological sites using 3D geometric morphometrics

  Research reveals continuity in size and morphology of dogs from Chalcolithic and Bronze Age sites in Iberia, particularly in the M1 region, while fragmentary mandibles show slight differences behind it. The study used 3D geometric morphometrics to analyze nine dog hemimandibles, comparing them with modern Iberian wolves, dogs, and red foxes. It found that these ancient dogs retained diagnostic wolf traits in the carnassial zone, suggesting limited morphological change over time in inland regions, contrasting with coastal sites influenced by higher commercial activity.

  Blázquez-Orta, R., Rodríguez, L., Major González, M., Estaca-Gómez, V., De Gaspar, I., Feranec, R. S., Miguel Carretero, J., Luis Arsuaga, J., & García, N. (2024). Dogs from the past: Exploring morphology in mandibles from Iberian archaeological sites using 3D geometric morphometrics. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 57, 104660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104660

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• Future climate risks to world cultural heritage sites in Spain: A systematic analysis based on shared socioeconomic pathways

  Spain's UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WCHS) face significantly heightened climate risks by 2100, particularly under the high-emission SSP5-8.5 scenario, with three sites at risk of submergence due to sea level rise and extreme warming exceeding global averages. The study, using CMIP6 climate models, identifies critical threats including fire hazards (affecting eight WCHS, notably Atapuerca and Medina Azahara), hydrodynamic scouring, corrosion, biodegradation, and drought. While risks remain stable under the SSP1-2.6 scenario, they escalate dramatically under SSP5-8.5, emphasizing the need for carbon neutrality to mitigate impacts. The research combines historical fire risk data with future climate projections to prioritize protection measures for vulnerable sites.

  Hu, H., & Hewitt, R. J. (2024). Future climate risks to world cultural heritage sites in Spain: A systematic analysis based on shared socioeconomic pathways. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 113, 104855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104855

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• Palaeoclimatic analysis of Quaternary terrestrial small mammal assemblages from the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain)

  A temperate climate, with variations between Mediterranean and boreal influences, has dominated the Sierra de Atapuerca for nearly one million years. This finding emerges from a palaeoclimatic analysis of small mammal assemblages across six archaeological sites spanning the Early Pleistocene to Late Holocene. Researchers applied the Bioclimatic Model (BM) to reconstruct qualitative and quantitative climatic conditions, revealing warmer-than-current conditions at the base of Sima del Elefante's sequence and thermal increases linked to glacial pulses in the Upper Pleistocene. The study also identified shifts in altitudinal belt boundaries, reflecting regional-scale climate changes. This diachronic analysis provides an updated synthesis of long-term climatic reconstruction over more than a million years.

  Domínguez-García, Á. C., López-García, J. M., Núñez-Lahuerta, C., Galán, J., & Cuenca-Bescós, G. (2024). Palaeoclimatic analysis of Quaternary terrestrial small mammal assemblages from the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 655, 112532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112532

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• Low‐cost technologies in a rich ecological context: Hotel California open‐air site at Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain

  Neanderthals in the Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain, employed expedient lithic technologies consistently over tens of thousands of years (Marine Isotope Stages 5 to 3), contrasting with technological variability observed at other nearby sites. This pattern, characterized by local raw material use and non-hierarchical exploitation systems, suggests a stable adaptation to the region's rich ecological context. The study re-evaluates the chronology of nearby Fuente Mudarra, now exclusively dated to MIS 5, and compares it with Hotel California's lithic assemblages (levels 3–7) to assess regional technological trends. Findings indicate that open-air Neanderthal sites in this region maintained low-cost, expedient technologies despite broader shifts in other areas.

  Santamaría, M., Navazo, M., Arnold, L. J., Benito‐Calvo, A., Demuro, M., & Carbonell, E. (2023). Low‐cost technologies in a rich ecological context: Hotel California open‐air site at Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain. Journal of Quaternary Science, 38(5), 658–684. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3501

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