Burgos (EFE).- The researchers working in Cueva Fantasma, one of the most recent sites to be excavated in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos), guarantee to find new fossils of Homo Neanderthal since the anthropic evidence discovered advances a human occupation ” important”.
The entrance to the Ghost Cave is the one that offers this evidence of human presence, mainly in the form of cut marks on animal bones, the coordinator of the site, Ana Isabel Ortega, explained to the media.
Since the excavation of the site began, in 2016, samples of lithic industry have been located, but not only the tools that the inhabitants used to process the meat they ate.
The splinters generated when carving these tools have also been found, which together with the remains of animals with the cut marks indicates “an important occupation,” Ortega asserted.
“We are in the time of Neanderthals”, he insisted, at the same time that he recalled that in the first year of the project, during the cleaning work, a parietal of Homo Neanderthal was found.
For this reason, the researcher has stated that they “always hope” to find new human fossils of this species, which has also been located in other sites in the Sierra de Atapuerca.
On whether it will be this year, during the excavation campaign that will end at the end of July, Ana Isabel Ortega has pointed out that “if it is not this, it will be another”, but the finding seems guaranteed.
Great presence of hyenas
Meanwhile, the research team continues to excavate in Cueva Fantasma, a site of more than thirty square meters, divided into two work areas.
The entrance, twelve square meters long, is joined by the large room, about 25 square meters, in which no anthropic evidence has yet appeared.
In the room, researchers have found a great variety of faunal remains, fossilized bones with carnivorous marks and many evidences of hyena communities.
Animal bones show, above all, marks from hyena processing, Ortega explained, although there are also marks from other carnivores such as lions, wolves or some small feline.
The archaeological interventions in Cueva Fantasma, apart from the appearance of human remains, give good information about the chronology of the site.
Ana Isabel Ortega recalled that, in the entrance area, dates of 70,000 and 60,000 years are used, with more superficial remains of 50,000 or 40,000 years.
Meanwhile, in the room area the dates are older, from 1,000,000 to 800,000 years.