The First Europeans: Treasures from the Hills of Atapuerca: who were the earliest humans in Western Europe? How long ago did they live and what were their lives like?

Natural History, Dec, 2002

Opening January 11, 2003, at the American Museum of Natural History, The First Europeans: Treasures from the Hills of Atapuerca is an unparalleled exhibition that addresses these questions and reveals the mysteries of ancient humans. The exhibition features exquisitely preserved ancient hominid and animal fossils--some dating as far back as one million years--and stone tools found at two extremely rich archaeological sites in the Atapuerca Hills in the region of Castilla y Leon in northern Spain. The First Europeans is coorganized by the American Museum of Natural History and Consejeria de Educacion y Cultura de Castilla y Leon.

On view through April 13, 2003, will be more than 70 fossils and artifacts excavated from these two remarkably evocative sites, providing Americans their first-ever glimpse of these early hominids and exploring their lives and practices. Perhaps most importantly, the exhibition will consider what their existence teaches us about what it means to be human today.

The first site, called Gran Dolina, provides a revealing record of the flora and fauna of 1,100,000 to 350,000 years ago, and contained the oldest hominid fossil remains found in Western Europe--a new species named Homo antecessor, dating to about 800,000 years ago. Primitive stone tools and hundreds of animal fossils have also been found there. A particularly intriguing aspect of this site is evidence of what may be the first case of cannibalism documented in human evolution.

The second site, Sima de los Huesos, holds the largest and most complete accumulation of hominid bones ever recovered, which archaeologists have assigned to Homo heidelbergensis. These remains, dating to between 350,000 and 300,000 years ago, were found mixed with fossil remains of wolves, lions, red foxes, wild cats, weasels, and bears--literally a "pit of bones," which may have been intentionally assembled by the hominids.

The First Europeans will exhibit some of the most beautifully preserved hominid fossils ever found, including a partial composite skeleton of Homo antecessor as well as skulls and jaws. Also on display will be ancient artifacts and fossils of Ice Age fauna that recall the climatic conditions under which our ancestors lived. In addition, dramatic photographs and models of the Atapuerca archaeological sites will be on view.

Perhaps most intriguing of all is what secrets these ancient specimens might reveal about where we came from and who we are. "These fossils are aesthetically beautiful and scientifically important," said Ian Tattersall, Curator in the Museum's Division of Anthropology, co-curator of The First Europeans, and a world-renowned authority on human evolution. "They cannot help but stimulate reflection in the viewer about what it means to be truly `human.'"

The First Europeans: Treasures from the Hills of Atapuerca is co-curated by Ian Tattersall, Curator, Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History; Jose Maria Bermudez de Castro, Research Professor at Centro Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas of Spain; Juan Luis Arsuaga, Professor of Paleontology at Complutense University in Madrid; and Eduard Carbonell, Professor of Prehistory at the Rovira and Virgill University of Tarragona.