SIMA DE LOS HUESOS (SIERRA DE ATAPUERCA, SPAIN) - THE SITE

In this article a topographical description of the Cueva Mayor-Cueva d e Silo cave system is provided, including a more detailed topography o f the Sala de los Ciclopes-Sala de las Oseras-Sima de los Huesos secto r. The history of the excavations and discoveries of human and carnivo re fossils in Sima de los Huesos and adjacent passages is briefly repo rted, as well as the increase; throughout the succeeding field seasons , of the human collection and changes in the relative representation o f the different skeletal elements and major biases. The carnivore asse mblage structure is also considered. Examining the characteristics of the bone breccia, and the current and ancient karst topography, differ ent alternative accesses are discussed for the accumulation of carnivo res and humans in the Sima de los Huesos. Taking into account all the available information, an anthropic origin for the accumulation of hum an fossils seems to us to be the most likely explanation. (C) 1997 Aca demic Press Limited.