Scientific research returns to the Canal de San Clemente site in Huéscar (Granada) after 40 years
A project co-directed by IPHES-CERCA resumes excavations at a key site for the study of Pliocene fauna in the Iberian Peninsula
After nearly four decades without scientific activity, the paleontological site of Canal de San Clemente, located in the municipality of Huéscar (Granada), is once again the focus of excavations. The work is being carried out as part of a research project co-directed by paleontologist Bienvenido Martínez-Navarro, ICREA researcher at IPHES-CERCA and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), and paleontologist Sergio Ros-Montoya, professor at the University of Málaga. The fieldwork also includes the participation of a team from IPHES-CERCA, led by senior archaeologist Antoni Canals Salomó.
The site, discovered in 2002 by Professor Trino Torres, is located near the Guardal River, in the northern part of the province of Granada, and dates back 3 to 4 million years, corresponding to the Pliocene epoch. Numerous surface fossils of large mammals have been identified, including mastodon, antelope, and equid teeth, likely belonging to species such as Anancus arvernensis.
These excavations are part of the research project entitled “Study of the paleontological records of the sites in the northern part of the Baza region in the Mediterranean context”, funded by the Andalusian Regional Government and authorized by the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation, the current owner of the land. The initial budget, provided by the Huéscar Town Council, amounts to 14,000 euros
The main objectives of the project are the systematic excavation of the site, detailed documentation of its paleontological records, and their contextualization within the geological and environmental framework of the northern Guadix-Baza Basin — one of the richest Plio-Quaternary fossil areas in Europe. The scientific work also includes plans for heritage recovery and museographic presentation of the findings, as well as their promotion for the benefit of the municipality of Huéscar.
With this project, IPHES-CERCA reinforces its commitment to international research and the co-leadership of high-level scientific initiatives, contributing to the study of ecosystem evolution and past fauna in the Mediterranean Basin.