In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists in Spain have unearthed bone fragments believed to belong to the oldest human face in Western Europe. Dating back between 1.1 to 1.4 million years, these fossils provide fascinating evidence that early human species once roamed the Iberian Peninsula. This astonishing find, made in the Sima del Elefante cave, sheds new light on the ancient history of humanity. Read on to uncover the secrets behind this remarkable discovery!
These remains belong to an adult individual of an extinct human species that lived on the Iberian Peninsula between 1.1 and 1.4 million years ago, specifically to the left cheekbone and upper jaw.
Dr. Rosa Huguet from Rovira i Virgili University in southern Catalonia noted that this finding marks the beginning of a new chapter in the story of human evolution in Europe.
The arrival of humans to this continent was already confirmed with five skulls found in the Dmanisi region of Georgia, dating back 1.8 million years. Although the fossil found in the Sima del Elefante cave is more primitive than Homo antecessor remains, it resembles Homo erectus. Therefore, the species has been named Homo affinis erectus due to its close relationship with earlier humans.
The Spanish translation of the album, La cara oculta de la luna, contains the phrase “cara oculta,” meaning “hidden face.” It is noted that the fossil has a flatter nose structure compared to Homo antecessor.