Homo antecessor sediments of Gran Dolina (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain). Micromorphological interpretation of the formation process and paleoenvironmental record of the sediments.

Sedimentary studies using large format thin-section is an integrated approa ch for a contextual background of Homo antecessor remains at TD6 in Gran Do lina. This integrated contextual approach begins with an archaeostratigraph ical study of human remains. The archaeostratigraphical results confronted sedimentary analyses show the difficulties for separating the human remains of diachronical occupations in TD6 level, named Aurora Stratum archaeostra tigraphical (ASa). Evidence of diachronic occupation is confirmed by sedime ntary analyses. The sedimentary analyses of ASa show a microstrafied sedime ntary context suggesting a possible sedimentary synchrony of the human rema ins, named Aurora Stratum (AS). Microscopic analyses of non-disturbed ASa s ediments show that the sedimentation was hydric, low energy and buried rapi dely. Palaeoenvironmental interpretation is based on pedosedimentary eviden ces recorded at Gran Dolina. The rapide environmental changements recorded in the microstratified sequence of ASa allow us to propose a chronoclimatic interpretation. Human occupations in ASa and AS of TD6 are of glacial peri od during the Later Lower Pleistocene. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et m edicales Elsevier SAS.