Episode 45: Detective of the Dead
Atapuerca is a place that holds the mystery of human evolution in Europe from 1.2 million years ago through recent times. You can find, in one place, the oldest human in Europe, the first murder in the archaeological record, and fossils that tell a range of stories from disturbing and grisly to tender and heartwarming. María Martinón-Torres is a Leakey Foundation grantee who is sometimes called a "detective of the dead" because she pieces together clues to learn about the lives and deaths of the people who once inhabited northern Spain.
Special thanks
Thanks to María Martinón-Torres for sharing her work. Thanks to Dub and Ginny Crook for sponsoring this episode.
Links to learn more
The Atapuerca website
María Martinón-Torres' website
Learn about Atapuerca on efossils.org
Unesco World Heritage information
Sima del Elefante - The First Hominin of Europe
Gran Dolina - Human Meat Just Another Meal for Early Europeans?
Sima de los Huesos
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Lunch Break Science
Lunch Break Science is The Leakey Foundation's online series featuring short talks and interviews with Leakey Foundation grantees. Episodes resume in October but you can watch all of the past episodes on demand at leakeyfoundation.org/live.
Credits
Host, Writer, Producer: Meredith Johnson
Producer: Lucia Benavides
Editor: Audrey Quinn
Special thanks to Shuka Kalantari
Theme Music: Henry Nagle
Additional Music:
Lee Rosevere "Tech Toys" and music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Sponsors
Origin Stories is made possible by support from Dub and Virginia Crook, Diana McSherry, Jeanne Newman, Camilla Smith, and donors like you!
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