Oldest human face in Western Europe found in Spanish ‘Pink’ fossil shocker.
Jaw-dropping discovery: could this fossil ‘face’ be Europe’s oldest inhabitant?
Credit: Shutterstock, Gorodenkoff
‘It’s another step towards understanding the first Europeans.’
An incredible new discovery in Spain just might turn what we believed about history upside down. There’s even a surprising rock star connection – yes, really… But what does it all mean for our understanding of who really walked these lands so long ago? Keep reading to find out why scientists are so excited – and just how far back in history these bones take us.
A hidden face comes to light
Nicknamed “Pink” after rock icons Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (because “La cara oculta de la luna” translates to “the hidden face” in Spanish), this remarkable find turns back the clock on what we thought we knew about our earliest European ancestors. Until now, the oldest known remains in western Europe were a mere 1.1-1.2 million years old, also from Sima del Elefante. But “Pink” pushes the envelope back even further, hinting that at least two forms of early human roamed this region of the continent in the early Pleistocene.
It’s official: Western Europe’s oldest human face has just made a long-awaited appearance – and it’s already got a nickname. Meet “Pink”, an adult from an extinct human species who lived on the Iberian peninsula between 1.1 and 1.4 million years ago. The fossilised left cheek and upper jaw were discovered in the depths of Spain’s Sima del Elefante (Pit of the Elephant) cave near Atapuerca in Burgos.
Life in the Pit of the Elephant
Sima del Elefante wasn’t always a chilly cave. Over a million years ago, it was lush with oaks, pines, juniper, and hazel. Rivers teeming with wildlife criss-crossed the landscape, drawing in mice, water voles, deer, hippos, and bison – plus resourceful humans who left behind quartz and flint tools and butchered animal bones. Archaeologists even spotted a tell-tale groove on one of “Pink’s” teeth, suggesting the use of a rudimentary “toothpick”. “This is another step towards understanding the first Europeans,” said Dr José María Bermúdez de Castro, co-director of the Atapuerca Project.
Where next for “Pink”?
With researchers piecing together more relics of this mysterious ancestor, excitement is running high. Although “Pink” has a face hidden by time, the partial cheekbone and jaw are shedding new light on how our ancient relatives once lived – and perhaps why they vanished.
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