Atapuerca archaeological site to open to scientists in 2014

BURGOS The bowels of the Sierra de Atapuerca, where a number of caves have been excavated for  years, will at last be opened to scientists the world over in September next year. They had previously been opened in 1993 to show the many instruments of over 800,000 years ago that had been found. Since then, a great deal of information has been recovered, which is due to be published prior to the World Congress on Prehistory and Protohistory that is due to be held in Burgos next year. Scientists attending the congress are lining up to view the various stages of the Atapuerca digs. These now enter a new stage this digging season and, according to Eudald Carbonell y Juan Luis Arsuaga, co-directors of the Atapuerca Project. Arsuaga says that this academic season will be "exceptional and a landmark in world palaeoanthropology because it is time to present the work of the last 20 years." He adds that work at the digs will be aimed at solving the 'mystery' and continue with dating the fossils.