Official announcements from archaeological institutions or funding bodies

Scientists Discover Ancient Quicksand Trap in Orce, Oldest Human Remains in Europe at 1.3 Million Years

Jul 12, 2024, 11:03 PM

Scientists have discovered a natural quicksand trap in the 'elephant graveyard' of Orce, dated to more than one million years ago. This site, located in the Iberian Peninsula, has also yielded human remains that are the oldest in Europe, approximately 1.3 million years old. The findings support the hypothesis that early humans arrived in Europe through the south of the Iberian Peninsula, specifically via the Strait of Gibraltar. New geological dating techniques have placed the first European hominids in this region 1.3 million years ago. The quicksand trap contained remains of doomed elephants.