Sima del Elefante fossil site with scaffolding. This site is located in the Trinchera del Ferrocarril, a trench that was dug in the foothills of Sierr
Sima del Elefante fossil site with scaffolding. This site is located in the Trinchera del Ferrocarril, a trench that was dug in the foothills of Sierra de Atapuerca at the end of the 19th century. The site was intended for a mining railroad but the railway company went bankrupt. However, the construction of the railroad exposed a variety of fossil and archaeological sites, including Sima del Elefante. As well as a rich collection of mammal fossils dating back to between and million years, stone tools have been found at this site. The extensive discoveries at the Atapuerca sites have led to numerous advancements in the understanding of human evolution. In 2000, Sierra de Atapuerca was made a world heritage site by UNESCO. Photographed in July 2017.
Size: 4831px × 3623px
Photo credit: © JAVIER TRUEBA/MSF/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -, 2017, 21st, anthropological, anthropology, atapuerca, century, cliff, de, del, europe, european, evolution, evolutionary, ferrocarril, fossil, heritage, human, palaentological, palaeoanthropology, palaeontology, paleoanthropology, paleontology, pleistocene, prehistoric, prehistory, scaffold, scaffolding, sierra, site, spain, trench, trinchera, unesco, world
