World Heritage Identification Number: 989
World Heritage since: 2000
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇪🇸 Spain
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Archaeological Site of Atapuerca: A Window into Human Evolution
The Archaeological Site of Atapuerca, situated in the rugged landscape of the Sierra de Atapuerca in the province of Burgos, northern Spain, offers a unique glimpse into the early history of humanity. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, this significant archaeological location has provided valuable insights into the lives, behaviors, and evolutionary pathways of our distant human ancestors.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca contain a rich fossil record of the earliest human beings in Europe, from nearly one million years ago and extending up to the Common Era. They represent an exceptional reserve of data, the scientific study of which provides priceless information about the appearance and the way of life of these remote human ancestors.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (iii): The earliest and most abundant evidence of humankind in Europe is to be found in the caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca.
Criterion (v): The fossil remains in the Sierra de Atapuerca constitute an exceptional reserve of information about the physical nature and the way of life of the earliest human communities in Europe.
Encyclopedia Record: Archaeological site of Atapuerca
The archaeological site of Atapuerca is located in the province of Burgos in the north of Spain and is notable for its evidence of early human occupation. Bone fragments from around 800,000 years ago, found in its Gran Dolina cavern, provide the oldest known evidence of hominid settlement in Western Europe and of hominid cannibalism anywhere in the world.Additional Site Details
Area: 284.119 hectares
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement
Coordinates: 42.3497222222 , -3.5152777778
Image
© Mario Modesto Mata, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
