Oldest Human Remains in Western Europe Discovered in Spain: Facial Fragments Dated Between 1.2 and 1.4 Million Years Old

Archaeological excavations in the Atapuerca Mountains, Spain, have revealed the oldest human remains ever found in Western Europe. A team discovered fragments of face bones from an extinct human species, dating between 1.2 and 1.4 million years ago, in the Sima del Elefante cave. The fragments, belonging to the left side of an adult's mid-face, were found two meters deeper than a 1.1-million-year-old jawbone discovered in 2008. Researchers have classified the remains as Homo aff. erectus, indicating a close relation to Homo erectus, the first human species to migrate from Africa to Asia. The discovery, found alongside stone tools and animal remains, suggests the species practiced butchery in a humid forest environment. This find opens new avenues for understanding early human settlements and population dynamics in Western Europe, indicating hominins reached the region within a few hundred thousand years of leaving Africa.