The Bones of Atapuerca

The occupants were undoubtedly human. Inventory: in one cave, Portalón, ceramic objects were found. In another, Galería de la Eduarda y el Kolora, there were paintings on the wall. Other caves yielded stone tools, handaxes and the like. These items were no doubt linked to the organic findings; bones with evidence of having been butchered. Several of these belonged to carnivorous animals. Some were bovine. The remaining examples of these bones, likewise bearing the telltale marks of having been chopped, defleshed and prepared for the table were of human beings. What kind of human beings? Let’s start with the plain facts. Researchers have discerned eleven individuals, all very young. The eldest three were between fifteen and twenty years old at the time of their deaths. Two more were aged between five and nine years. The remaining four were less than four. Two of them were identifiably male, one female while the others were in no condition to tell.<a href="https://medium.com/@michaelnoble_96601/the-bones-of-atapuerca-0a4b1b0cf5a3#_edn1" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">[i]</a> <a href="https://medium.com/@michaelnoble_96601/the-bones-of-atapuerca-0a4b1b0cf5a3">Learn More</a>