BURIALS IN THE SIMA DE LOS HUESOS OUTCROP? (Atapuerca)

Rabadà i Vives, David (2001): WERE THERE PLEISTOCENE RITUAL BURIALS IN THE SIMA DE LOS HUESOS OUTCROP? (Atapuerca Range, Burgos, Spain). Batalleria 10: 49- 54.Museu de Geologia del Seminari de Barcelona.

ABSTRACT

          The Sima de los Huesos site, Atapuerca, contains an important sample of fossilised human bones of Homo neanderthalensis. The nature of the SH human remains was interpreted as human burials but geological, taphonomical and palaeocological evidences have given rise to a new interpretation. Ecological competition inside the cave site between Homo and predators, accidents by falling into the cavity and old passages used as access to the chamber by human predators as felids and canids explain this accumulation of human bones.