Program Overview

Atapuerca and Human Evolution in Europe (ANTH0032)

Key Information

• Faculty: Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences
• Teaching department: Anthropology
• Credit value: 15
• Restrictions: This module is open to finalists on BSc Anthropology and BSc Anthropology with a Year Abroad and finalist students and affiliates from Anthropology and other departments (level 6). Priority is given to students who have completed ANTH0012 Palaeoanthropology and students must have taken ANTH0012 or equivalent as a pre-requisite. This module is also open to fourth year MSci students (level 7). If the module is oversubscribed, priority will be given to students from Anthropology, Human Sciences and Anthropology joint degrees. Important Note: Year Abroad students may only take this module during the summer between year 3 and 4.

Alternative Credit Options

There are no alternative credit options available for this module.

Description

This is a palaeontological field module co-organised with Prof María Martinón-Torres, Director of the National Centre for the Study of Human Evolution (CENIEH) in Burgos, Spain. The module includes two main elements of teaching:

1. Knowledge of the contribution of the Atapuerca sites to the understanding of the evolutionary scenario of human populations in Europe. Students will gain familiarity with the Atapuerca Early to Middle Pleistocene hominin fossils and related discussions about their taxonomy, phylogeny, behaviour and general geo-chronological and palaeo-environmental context.
2. An introduction to the practical aspects of palaeontological/archaeological fieldwork by participating in the excavation of the Atapuerca Pleistocene sites (a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Burgos, Spain); students will gain a general understanding of the principles and methods by which archaeological and palaeontological data are acquired, recorded and used to reconstruct the past.

Upon completion of this course, students should be familiar with the hominin fossil record recovered at the Atapuerca sites and their contribution to the debate about the origin, dispersals and evolution of the Early and Middle Pleistocene populations of Europe. Through practical work, students will learn a range of basic fieldwork techniques as well as acquire a broad knowledge of the range and varied nature of the data recovered in the field for studying the past.

Teaching Delivery

• Lectures: One day of preparatory lectures including information on logistics and the academic background to the Atapuerca sites and their contributions to our understanding of human evolution in the Pleistocene.
• Fieldwork: Approximately 11 days of excavation at Atapuerca, including daily post-excavation processing lab work.

Learning Outcomes

UG L6

Having completed the module, students will have:

• knowledge of the anatomy and palaeobiology of the hominin fossils recovered at the Atapuerca sites and the similarities/differences with the Early and Middle Pleistocene fossil record from Europe, Africa and Asia;
• knowledge and critical understanding of the different models proposed to explain the origin of Neanderthals, with a focus on the data obtained by the study of the Middle Pleistocene population from Sima de los Huesos at Atapuerca;
• knowledge and critical understanding of the different models explaining the first settlement of Europe, with a focus on the data obtained from the study of the Early Pleistocene sites of Sima del Elefante and Gran Dolina at Atapuerca;
• an understanding of the environmental context for the origin, dispersals and interactions of the Early and Middle Pleistocene first inhabitants of Europe;
• a general understanding of the behaviour and culture of the Early and Middle Pleistocene populations of Europe;
• gained practical experience of excavation, and other practical skills and tasks, giving a broad understanding of archaeological field techniques and methods;
• gained an awareness of the interdisciplinarity of human evolutionary studies, and the importance of recording not only the fossil findings, but also their context;
• the ability to keep a careful record of fieldwork activities for future reference.

UG L7

Having completed the module, students will have:

• knowledge of the anatomy and palaeobiology of the hominin fossils recovered at the Atapuerca sites and the similarities/differences with the Early and Middle Pleistocene fossil record from Europe, Africa and Asia;
• knowledge and critical understanding of the different models proposed to explain the origin of Neanderthals, with a focus on the data obtained by the study of the Middle Pleistocene population from Sima de los Huesos at Atapuerca;
• knowledge and critical understanding of the different models explaining the first settlement of Europe, with a focus on the data obtained from the study of the Early Pleistocene sites of Sima del Elefante and Gran Dolina at Atapuerca;
• an understanding of the environmental context for the origin, dispersals and interactions of the Early and Middle Pleistocene first inhabitants of Europe;
• a general understanding of the behaviour and culture of the Early and Middle Pleistocene populations of Europe;
• gained practical experience of excavation, and other practical skills and tasks, giving a broad understanding of archaeological field techniques and methods;
• gained an awareness of the interdisciplinarity of human evolutionary studies, and the importance of recording not only the fossil findings, but also their context;
• the ability to keep a careful record of fieldwork activities for future reference;
• gained the ability to critically assess fieldwork and post-excavation processing techniques and to contextualise the knowledge gained from the Atapuerca project in the broader framework of Pleistocene human evolution in and beyond Europe.

Teaching and Assessment

• Mode of study: In person
• Methods of assessment: 100% Coursework
• Mark scheme: Numeric Marks

Other Information

• Number of students on module in previous year: 6 (UG L6), 0 (UG L7)
• Module leader: Professor Christophe Soligo