The People of Palomas

The Neandertal site at Sima de las Palomas del Cabezo Gordo, located in Murcia in southeastern Spain, is unique in several respects. Its most important contribution to the field of study, however, may be the fact that it consists of the remains of multiple individuals, adding appreciable breadth to the available data for a greater understanding of Neandertals. Further, its location in the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees suggests potential for studying a population that may have been somewhat isolated from contemporaneous groups of early humans. This comprehensive analysis represents the first detailed overview of the human fossil assemblage found at the Sima de las Palomas site. While scientific discussion continues regarding the precise impact of Neandertals upon modern human physiology and biology, The People of Palomas adds significantly to our knowledge of the human fossil record of the Late Pleistocene.