D. Harvey/AMNH

When the Sierra Company Railroad carved into the landscape of Atapuerca during the 1890s, it cut open a slice of prehistory. The deep trench built for the railroad is now home to several archaeological dig sites, including the site known as Gran Dolina. Moving down the face of the exposed cliff at Gran Dolina is like taking a trip backward in time more than one million years, through layer upon layer of sediments rich with animal fossils and stone tools.

Human fossils have also been discovered at Gran Dolina. These remains are among the most significant ever found in Europe, as they provide evidence of the first western Europeans—and the earliest evidence of cannibalism in the human fossil record. The hominids who lived at Atapuerca 800,000 years ago were part of the first wave of early humans to penetrate the rugged terrain and harsh climates of western Europe during the Ice Age. Continuing excavation at Gran Dolina should provide further information about these early explorers.