Radio 4 premieres a new episode of 'Without Memory', from the archaeological site of Barranc de la Boella
The program delves into the ancient banks of the Francolí River to discover one of the oldest places with evidence of human occupation in Europe.
Friday, October 17 at 11:00 p.m. on Radio 4 and Rne Audio
This Friday at 11 p.m., Ràdio 4 will premiere a new episode of Sense memòria, recorded at the archaeological site of Barranc de la Boella. The programme features world-class palaeoanthropologists and archaeologists, all of them former students of Eudald Carbonell and principal investigators in various Atapuerca projects.
The episode was recorded entirely at the Palaeolithic site of Barranc de la Boella and at the recently inaugurated Espai Mammuthus, both located in the municipality of La Canonja (Tarragona). Guided by archaeologists and palaeoanthropologists from the Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA) —Palmira Saladié, Josep Vallverdú, Andreu Ollé and Rosa Huguet—, the programme explores the ancient banks of the Francolí River to discover one of the oldest sites with evidence of human occupation in Europe.
Just a stone’s throw from the largest petrochemical complex in southern Europe, excavations are underway that shed light on the first settlers of western Europe and their interaction with the large mammals of the Early Pleistocene.
The recording took place at the end of September, coinciding with the 2025 excavation campaign, and involved the active participation of the researchers working at the site.
The day concluded with a visit to the Espai Mammuthus, inaugurated this summer, a visitor centre dedicated to the Barranc de la Boella site. The space offers an immersive experience that transports visitors back one million years, with the aim of preserving, studying and sharing a key heritage site for understanding human evolution in Europe.
Sense memòria is Ràdio 4’s original history programme, which explores how the past has shaped the present. Each week, hosted by Isabel Díaz García, it reveals forgotten episodes, silenced voices and moments that deserve to be rediscovered, through a critical, curious and always surprising perspective. Every episode is a journey that connects us with our roots and invites us to reflect on the future.