National Geographic to feature an extensive report on the Sierra de Atapuerca archaeological sites in its December issue

The November issue of National Geographic Spain announces that the upcoming December edition of National Geographic Spain and Portugal will publish an in-depth report devoted to the archaeological sites of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain).

The article will review the different human species that have inhabited this mountain range over time (from Homo aff. erectus, Homo antecessor, Homo heidelbergensis and Homo neanderthalensis to Homo sapiens) and will offer an updated perspective on more than four decades of scientific research.

The announcement of the report features a photograph taken by Maria D. Guillén, showing Dr. Rosa Huguet, researcher at IPHES-CERCA, together with the Pink remains, which she coordinates during the excavations at Sima del Elefante.

IPHES-CERCA plays a key role in Atapuerca, coordinating the excavations at all the sites of the Trinchera del Ferrocarril, as well as those at Cueva de El Mirador and the Riu sector. The report includes contributions from leading researchers of the institute, such as Dr. Marina Mosquera, co-principal investigator of the Atapuerca Project and director of IPHES-CERCA, Dr. Rosa Huguet and Dr. Xosé Pedro Rodríguez, coordinators of the Sima del Elefante excavations, and Dr. Josep Maria Vergès and Dr. Ethel Allué, coordinators of the excavations at Cueva de El Mirador.

This report represents an excellent opportunity to highlight the major scientific contributions of the Atapuerca sites to the field of human evolution, as well as to showcase the new stage of the project, led by a renewed team of six co-directors of renowned prestige: Dr. Marina Mosquera and Dr. Andreu Ollé (both from IPHES-CERCA and URV), Dr. María Martinón and Dr. Alfonso Benito (CENIEH), and Dr. José Miguel Carretero and Dr. Ignacio Martínez Mendizábal (University of Burgos and University of Alcalá).

With this initiative, National Geographic reaffirms the international relevance of the Atapuerca Project and its key role in research on the origins and evolution of humankind, an area in which IPHES-CERCA remains a scientific and heritage benchmark.