'Sima del elefante': A new Pleistocene site at the Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain)

We present preliminary results of the study of a new Pleistocene site at th e Atapuerca Hill, known as the 'Sima del Elefante'. This is a cave deposit more than 21 m thick of sedimentary sequence that has been divided into 21 litostratigraphic units, grouped in three sedimentary phases, with well-dis tinguished texture, colour and composition The 'Sima del Elefante' has offe red a variety of paleontological record, with a particular richness in foss il birds, rodents and carnivores. Paleomagnetic and biostratigraphic data a llow dating the lower levels of the site (E-8 to E-14) as Lower Pleistocene . On the other hand, the middle and upper levels of the sequence (E-15 to E -19) seem to correspond to the end of the Middle Pleistocene in the light o f the macro-vertebrates remains and the presence of several archaeological levels with a lithic industry of musterian features. During the 2000 field season, a flake on flint of anthropic manufacture was discovered at E-11 le vel. This finding, together with other evidences recovered in previous seas ons, represent the oldest evidence of human occupation at the Sierra de Ata puerca, and confirms the presence of humans in Europe at least one million years ago. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.