The exhibition “Homo antecessor. The Discovery of a Species” wins the +Historia Award from Historia National Geographic

The exhibition “Homo antecessor: the discovery of a new species”, organised by the Museum of Human Evolution (MEH) in Burgos with the participation of IPHES-CERCA, has been awarded the +Historia Prize granted by Historia National Geographic magazine in the category of Best History Exhibition in Spain 2025. The award recognises the exhibition’s ability to present, with scientific rigour and an innovative and accessible language, one of the most decisive moments in European paleoanthropological research.

The exhibition traces the history of the discovery of Homo antecessor in 1994 at the Gran Dolina site (Sierra de Atapuerca) and highlights how this exceptional set of human remains (over 850,000 years old) completely transformed our understanding of the first settlement of western Europe. It also showcases the most recent scientific contributions, the research techniques applied over the last decades, and current knowledge about the anatomy, biology, material culture and ecology of this species.

IPHES-CERCA collaborated actively in the scientific design and content development of the exhibition, especially in the graphic and audiovisual components. A significant part of the images, reconstructions, infographics and visual resources structuring the exhibition narrative comes from the IPHES-CERCA audiovisual archive, produced over decades of directing and coordinating excavations and research at Atapuerca.

This collaboration has helped shape a coherent visual style that is faithful to scientific evidence and of high educational value, enhancing the exhibition’s impact and its ability to reach diverse audiences.

A recognition that highlights the value of the Atapuerca Project

The +Historia Award adds to a long trajectory of scientific and public outreach achievements associated with the Atapuerca Project, in which IPHES-CERCA has taken part since its beginnings. The prize also highlights the collaborative work between institutions and research teams that, for over three decades, have turned these prehistoric sites into an international scientific reference.