CAREX - The Experimental Archaeology Centre of Atapuerca
The Experimental Archaeology Centre has a range of educational resources available for visitors, based on solid scientific precepts explained in easy-to-understand terms. Visitors are invited to learn firsthand what life was like in the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Metal Ages.
The Centre has two zones:
Inside CAREX visitors become casual experimenters and learn firsthand about the fundamentals and working procedures of experimental archaeology. This is a very practical, participative visit, where you will discover key aspects of human evolution through experimental archaeology: how stone was chipped to make tools, how and why caves were painted. You will hunt with spears, propellers and arrows, and you'll discover the secret of firemaking.
On the one hectare site outside the Centre, different periods of prehistory have been reconstructed on the basis of information from the world's most important sites. You can visit the Centre on your own for free, or on a guided tour -for individuals and also for groups-.
GETTING THERE
The best way to get to the visitor center is by private car. The center is equipped with a large parking lot with marked spaces.
The center is found just 1 km (approx. half a mile) from the village of Atapuerca, just next to the Archaeological Park.
To get to the village of Atapuerca by car, it is best to take the N-I highway toward Vitoria until you reach the 'Olmos de Atapuerca' junction. From there you can follow the signs directly to Atapuerca.
The outside of the Experimental Archaeology Centre of Atapuerca
The building is a little like the Atapuerca findings: it's a huge box with a hard outside that can only be opened at specific points and allows you to discover ancient history: Atapuerca, the Way of Saint James, the Atapuerca Wetlands, the base of the Atapuerca Mountains, etc.
WORLD HERITAGE SITES
This visitor center is surrounded by various treasures: the Atapuerca Archaeological Site and the Way of Saint James. What's more, while at the center you can visit the Archaeological Park, located just a few meters away.