C. R.

Palevol 5 (2006) 155–160

[Link]

Human Palaeontology and Prehistory

The emergence of a symbolic behaviour: the sepulchral

pit of Sima de los Huesos, Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain
Eudald Carbonell a,b,*, Marina Mosquera a
a
Àrea de Prehistòria, Facultat de Lletres, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Plaça Imperial Tàrraco, s/n. 43005, Tarragona, Spain
b
Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (ICPHES),
Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Plaça Imperial Tàrraco, s/n. 43005, Tarragona, Spain
Received 14 November 2005; accepted after revision 29 November 2005
Available online 07 February 2006
Written on invitation of the Editorial Board

Abstract
Sima de los Huesos is one of the most complex Pleistocene sites at Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). This pit has yielded a
number of 28 hominids dated around 400 kyr. This is the most complete collection of Middle Pleistocene Homo heidelbergensis
around the world. Sima de los Huesos was never a hominid occupation place, since no traces of habitation has been discovered,
nor a carnivores net, because there are not herbivores remains. However, it contains a large variety of carnivores, such as foxes,
large felidae, wolfs, mustelids, and bears. The presence of these specimens may be explained as several events of natural falling,
hibernation and catastrophic death, particularly clear for the bears’ case. This may be supported by the fact that all these specimens
are present along the whole sedimentary sequence. On the contrary, human remains are mostly concentrated inside a quite discrete
sedimentary level, which cannot be explained by any kind of catastrophic nor attritional event, according with the age’s profile.
The recent finding of an Acheulean handaxe at the Sima de los Huesos cave site casts light on the evolution of human behaviour
during the Middle Pleistocene. It is a finely flaked quartzite handaxe, which is associated with the hominid assemblage. The
particular nature of the deposit involving its taphonomy, palaeontology, and technology points to a symbolic meaning both of
the tool and the human accumulation. This would support the hypothesis of human mortuary practices performed at the Sima
around 400 kyr ago. This discovery allows us to extend human complex behaviour and symbolism of mortuary rituals 300 kyr
earlier than broadly heretofore accepted. To cite this article: E. Carbonell, M. Mosquera, C. R. Palevol 5 (2006).
© 2006 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.
Résumé
L’émergence d’un comportement symbolique : la grotte sépulcrale de Sima de los Huesos, Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos,
Espagne. Sima de los Huesos est l’un des sites pléistocènes les plus complexes de la Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Espagne). Il a
fourni les restes de 28 hominidés datant d’environ 400 000 ans. Ceci représente la plus riche collection d’Homo heidelbergensis du
Pléistocène moyen dans le monde. Sima de los Huesos n’a jamais été un lieu d’occupation humaine, puisqu’il n’y a pas de trace
d’habitat, ni un piège à carnivores, étant donné qu’il n’y a aucun reste d’herbivore. Cependant, il contient une grande variété de
carnivores tels que renards, grands félidés, loups, mustélidés et ours. La présence de ces espèces peut être expliquée par différents
événements, tels que chute naturelle, hibernation et mort catastrophique, particulièrement dans le cas des ours. Ceci peut être
corroboré par le fait que tous ces animaux sont présents dans l’ensemble de la colonne sédimentaire. En revanche, les restes
humains sont, pour la plupart, concentrés dans un niveau sédimentaire tout à fait discret qui ne peut être expliqué par quelque

*
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [Link]@[Link] (E. Carbonell).

1631-0683/$ - see front matter © 2006 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/[Link].2005.11.010
156 E. Carbonell, M. Mosquera / C. R. Palevol 5 (2006) 155–160

événement de type catastrophique ou attritionnel que ce soit, d’après l’âge du profil. La découverte récente d’une hache acheu-
léenne dans la caverne du site de Sima de los Huesos nous éclaire sur l’évolution du comportement humain durant le Pléistocène
moyen. C’est une hache sur un fin éclat de quartzite, qui est associée à l’assemblage des restes humains. La nature particulière du
dépôt du point de vue taphonomique, paléontologique et technologique indique une signification symbolique à la fois de l’outil et
de l’accumulation des restes humains. Ceci corroborerait l’hypothèse de pratiques humaines mortuaires développées au site de
Sima, il y a environ 400 000 ans. Cette découverte nous permet de faire remonter un comportement humain complexe et un
symbolisme des rituels mortuaires à 300 000 ans plus tôt que ce qui a été largement admis jusqu’à présent. Pour citer cet article :
E. Carbonell, M. Mosquera, C. R. Palevol 5 (2006).
© 2006 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Symbolic behaviour; Mortuary symbolism; Sepulchral pit; Quartzite handaxe; Human skeletal assemblage; Spain

Mots clés: Comportement symbolique; Symbolisme mortuaire; Caverne sépulcrale; Hache de quartzite; Assemblage de squelettes humains;
Espagne

1. The Sima de los Huesos deposit The lowest breccia and layers of the Sima infilling
are sterile. Clay breccias predominate in the overlying
The Sima de los Huesos cave site (SH) is located deposit, which contain both sterile and fossil-bearing
within the Sierra de Atapuerca karstic system, 15 km facies [10]. Bear and carnivore remains appeared
east of the city of Burgos (Spain). It is a small cavity of throughout the sequence, but hominids mainly occupy
around 27 m2, adjacent to a ramp of ca. 12 m2, which in a lower layer of the deposit. This fact suggests that
turn directly connects to a 13-m-deep shaft (Fig. 1). these hominids were deposited during a time-span
Sima de los Huesos current entrance is 600 m far, along shorter in duration than that of the bears. Some remo-
several speleological passages of the karstic system of delling of depositional conditions may have occurred,
Cueva Mayor – Cueva del Silo. However, some rock which would explain the fact that the hominids domi-
fallings are visible from the area around the Sima, nant layer is nowadays partially mixed together with
which suggests that the Middle Pleistocene entrance bear bones. This would also explain the microscopic
may have been near the pit. erosion observed both on several broken bones and on
the edges of the handaxe, as explained below (Fig. 2).
This site is now well known for the exceptional
Interpreting the human bone accumulation at the
number of fossils attributed to Homo heidelbergensis
Sima de los Huesos is a difficult issue. There are two
recovered from systematic excavations. These speci-
main issues that require resolution: the composition of
mens make up about 80% of the Middle Pleistocene
the accumulation, and the agent(s) that caused it. Re-
hominid remains in the world [3–5,7]. Recent radio-
garding the former, all skeletal parts are well repre-
metric dating situates the hominid deposit as between
sented. Preservation has not biased the record to a sig-
400 and 600 kyr ago [11]. nificant extent, as proved by the presence of soft and
This site has yielded a MNI of 28 hominids with the weak bones in the deposit. It must thus be presumed
following age profile: one child (4–5 years), nine ado- that human remains reached the Sima as corpses (not
lescents (10–15 years), nine prime-age adults (18–20 skeletons). In addition, Bocquet-Appel and Arsuaga
years), five other adults (21–30 years), and four indivi- [12] have pointed out that the age profile is not attri-
duals older than 30 years ([9] and Bermúdez de Castro, tional, and also it does not fit one produced as a result
pers. commun.). An estimation of the sex profile has of a natural trap, since the requisite proportions of the
been possible just from 19 individuals: eight males entire population are not present (scarcity of infants and
and 11 females. All skeletal parts are also represented, old individuals). Furthermore, there is no additional
including weak, soft bones such as the hyoid and the evidence to suggest any other sort of natural phenom-
middle ear bones. Many skeletal parts were found close enon that would have resulted in that particular age
to one another, although no demonstrable anatomical profile. Therefore, this kind of composition must be
connections have been recorded. The absence of human both human and culturally biased since the beginning
habitation traces is a remarkable feature, as well as the [15].
absence of herbivore bones. However, the deposit in- The agent(s) responsible for that accumulation must
cludes a MNI of 23 foxes, 3 large felidae, 1 wolf, 4 be also re-examined. Clearly, it is not a by-product of
mustelids, and parts of 166 bears (Ursus deningeri) the action of carnivores, as most of the tooth marks
[17]. identified belong to foxes [2]. Moreover, no carnivore
 E. Carbonell, M. Mosquera / C. R. Palevol 5 (2006) 155–160 157

Fig. 1. Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca, Spain) profile. The figure shows the morphology of the cavity: the chamber, the ramp, and part of the shaft.
Fig. 1. Profil de Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca, Espagne). La figure montre la morphologie de la grotte : cavité, pente et une partie de la cheminée.

occur in a quite discrete sedimentary band [6 (p. 120)].

On the contrary, the bear assemblage seems to corre-
spond to a trap situation, as its demographic structure
reflects a catastrophic age profile of this sort, and bear
remains extend along the sedimentary sequence.
The human age profile could suggest a sudden cata-
strophe occurred to a group of hominids [12]. This hy-
pothesis is unlikely however, as the number of indivi-
duals (n = 28) is too great by far to have fallen in,
together and simultaneously, and perished in the Sima.
Although humans might have suffered the hypothetical
accident elsewhere in the Cueva Mayor cave system
[1], it remains difficult to account for the large number
and their completeness in the Sima occurrence.
Overall, hominid ages represented at the Sima con-
Fig. 2. Quartzite handaxe found at Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca, centration do not fit in with a natural death profile.
Spain). For the first time, a tool has been found associated with Hence, it must be a cultural one, and the agent(s) that
remains of 28 individuals of H. heidelbergensis, who lived in
Atapuerca at least 400 000 years ago. The white arrow points to a
in all probability caused this accumulation must also
molar of a hominid (© Madrid Scientific Films). have been humans. This culturally biased accumulation
Fig. 2. Hache de quartzite en provenance de Siam de los Huesos may correspond either to some diachronical behaviour
(Atapuerca, Espagne). Pour la première fois, un outil a été trouvé involving differential treatment of corpses in respect to
associé aux restes de 28 individus de H. heidelbergensis, qui vécurent
the age of the dead, or to a discrete episode of death
à la Sierra Atapuerca, il y a au moins 400 000 ans. La flèche blanche
indique une molaire d’hominidé (© Madrid Scientific Films). that occurred outside the cave and affected only a seg-
ment of the community. This segment could fit with
is specialized in human hunting (excepting sometimes individuals in high-risk age groups, according to their
those inhabiting some currently densely populated areas particular social organization [15].
of the world). Further, the Sima was not an occupation Other occupations elsewhere in the Sierra cave com-
place, as no archaeological item – ranging from knap- plex were contemporaries of the Sima situation. Unit
ping waste to herbivore remains – has ever been recov- GII of the Galería site yielded an isolated temporal bone
ered. A natural trap, into which humans might have of an H. heidelbergensis individual and a lithic assem-
fallen over the years, is also unlikely, as hominid fossils blage belonging to the Mode-2 technology. Galería was
158 E. Carbonell, M. Mosquera / C. R. Palevol 5 (2006) 155–160

always occupied for human butchering activities [13, mer percussion, following an initial reduction sequence
14]. Additionally, mid–upper levels of the Gran Dolina, of two main phases. The first was devoted to forming
roughly contemporary with Galería Unit GII, contain the volume, through flat, invasive extractions around
traces of human occupations devoted to biomass pro- both of its surfaces; the second was implemented by
cessing and to campsite activities, although no human shaping the edges of the biface, in order to achieve a
skeletal remains are represented. It must be best consid- convex distal conformation, and a straight, sharp peri-
ered that the particular human accumulation of the Sima metral edge [15].
belongs to a period during which some other occupa- Although there is no macroscopically visible erosion
tions – mainly devoted to subsistence activities – were on the specimen, use-wear analysis1 revealed micro-
being carried out in other surrounding caves. However, scopic natural abrasion of its entire surface, and parti-
the composition of those groups of records is radically cularly around the edges and on the prominent ridges
different, for neither the Galería nor Gran Dolina situa- bounding the extractions. According to experimental
tion bears any resemblance to the Sima assemblage. data, this abrasion seems to have been produced by
sandy sediments. This phenomenon may have thus ob-
2. The handaxe literated the possible use-wear traces on the edges of the
piece [15].
Sima de los Huesos has yielded a single lithic item: a This artefact must be ascribed to an Acheulean (or
finely flaked handaxe on quartzite (Fig. 3), which again Mode 2) technology, which was the first to produce
permits the scientific community to confirm a relation good quality, large tools made through different stages
between H. heidelbergensis and Acheulean (or Mode-2) of extraction, knapping and retouching. Another exam-
technology. This handaxe was made from a cobble of ple of association between Acheulean handaxes and
good quality, reddish-light brown veined quartzite. It fossils of H. heidelbergensis occurs at the Galería cave
weighs 685 g, measures 155 × 97 × 58 mm, has an site, in the Trinchera locality, Atapuerca [14].
amygdaloid shape, with one side flat and another con-
vex. It seems to have been made by means of soft ham- 3. Symbolism during the Middle Pleistocene
and the earliest mortuary practices

Middle Pleistocene is extremely poor in symbolic

traces. Regarding language, studies about both hyoid
bones and mid-ear bones [19] of Homo heildebergensis
from the Sima de los Huesos seem to point to the ex-
istence of a language at this stage of the human evolu-
tion. Other traces of Middle Pleistocene symbolism
may be found at the so-called figurines of Berekhat-
Ram (Israel) [18] and Tan-Tan (Morocco) [8].
Next symbolic traces seem to occur at Upper Pleis-
tocene times, such as the mortuary practices among
Neanderthals [16]. These practices have been recorded
at several sites in the Levant, including Tabun and
Amud (Israel), and elsewhere in western Asia Shanidar
(Iraq), central Asia Techik-Tash, Uzbekistan), and also
at sites in western Europe (Spy, Belgium; La Ferrasie,
La Chapelle-aux-Saints, Le Moustier, in France). Most
of the corpses were deposited in a curled-up position.
Several of these burials were carried out in oval-shaped
graves, as well as with blocks (Le Régourdou, France)
or slabs (Ferrassie I, Shanidar II) placed under the

1
Fig. 3. Frontal surface view of the handaxe found at Sima de los For microscopic analysis, a JEOL JSM-6400 S.E.M. was used.
Huesos (Atapuerca, Spain). Due to the large dimensions of the artefact, silicone moulds (Provil-
Fig. [Link] frontale de la surface de la hache trouvée à Sima de los L Hydro Activ-Bayer Dental) and polyurethane resin high-resolution
Huesos (Atapuerca, Espagne) (©Atapuerca Research Team). casts (Syntesia-55) had to be used in order to perform the analysis.
 E. Carbonell, M. Mosquera / C. R. Palevol 5 (2006) 155–160 159

corpse, or even covering the dead with blocks as in Sima de los Huesos at the first case of mortuary sym-
tumuli (Shanidar I). Many of them also contained see- bolism in human evolution.
mingly votive elements, such as goat horns (Techik-
Tash), ivory tusks (Le Roc-de-Marsal, France), and Acknowledgments
even red ochre enshrined with or alongside the buried
corpses (La Chapelle-aux-Saints), and the most famous Authors thank Chris Scott-Tennent and Carolina
flowers offering already known, although the latter is Mallol for their review of the English version of the
still under debate (Shanidar IV). Hearths are also usual manuscript. We also thank J. Trueba for the Sima de
near to or covering the graves, and most of the corpses los Huesos photograph. The study has been supported
were associated with flint tools – some of high-quality by the Atapuerca Research Project (BXX2000-1258-
manufacture-, the abundance of which in the surround- C03. D.G.I., M.C.T.).
ing archaeological records makes it difficult to state
their symbolic meaning [16]. References

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