Museum of Human Evolution
Encyclopedia
The Museum of Human Evolution (Spanish
: Museo de la Evolución Humana) is a museum
on the subject of human evolution
situated on the south bank of the river Arlanzón, in the Spanish
city of Burgos
. It is located roughly 10 miles west from the Sierra de Atapuerca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and location of some of the most important human fossil finds in the world.
The museum was opened on July 13, 2010, and had received 148,045 visitors as of December 31, 2010, making it the most visited museum in Castile and León
.
It forms the centerpiece of the so-called "Complejo de la Evolución Humana" (Human Evolution Compound) comprising a convention centre
, the CENIEH research institution and the museum itself .
. The land on which it was built was the "solar de Caballería", a large plot of land in central Burgos where once had stood the convent of San Pablo, one of the foremost houses of the Order of Preachers in Castile. After its demise in the mid-19th century, military barracks were built in its place.
The demolition of said barracks in the 20th century left a significant, purposeless void which was being used as a car park; not until 2000 was the decision made to build a museum on human evolution in its place. Navarro was chosen as the architect after an international competition
where his design won over others made by Cruz y Ortiz
, Steven Holl
, Arata Isozaki
and Jean Nouvel
. Works on the site began in 2005 and are due to finish in 2012, although both the CENIEH and the Museum are already complete as of May, 2011.
Level -1 is conceived as the heart of the museum. A single exhibition space in which to locate the archaeological and paleontological complex Reservoir in the Sierra de Atapuerca. The visitor can find a reproduction of the Sima de los Huesos as a three dimensional model and didactic. Within the first pill is located yacimentos Homo antecessor and Gran Dolina and Sima del Elefante.
Level 0 is dedicated to the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin and the history of human evolution. This plant is one of the most spectacular points of the museum: 10 ultra-realistic reproductions of human ancestors, made by French sculptor Elisabeth Daynes. The ten prints displayed are for:
Also on this floor is the reproduction of the stern of the famous ship HMS Beagle on which Darwin made his famous trip to the Galapagos Islands. On this floor the visitor can find the features unique to humans among which stands out the brain.
Level 1 answers, from a functional standpoint, why are so similar to the hunter - gatherer 9000 years ago, and yet so different. Access to culture plant is from the mechanical ramps. In this plant we review the different milestones of the evolution of culture.
Level 2 will recreate the three main ecosystems of human evolution: the jungle, savannah and tundra-steppe of the last glaciation
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Museo de la Evolución Humana) is a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
on the subject of human evolution
Human evolution
Human evolution refers to the evolutionary history of the genus Homo, including the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species and as a unique category of hominids and mammals...
situated on the south bank of the river Arlanzón, in the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
city of Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
. It is located roughly 10 miles west from the Sierra de Atapuerca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and location of some of the most important human fossil finds in the world.
The museum was opened on July 13, 2010, and had received 148,045 visitors as of December 31, 2010, making it the most visited museum in Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
.
It forms the centerpiece of the so-called "Complejo de la Evolución Humana" (Human Evolution Compound) comprising a convention centre
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
, the CENIEH research institution and the museum itself .
History
The building, as well as the whole compound, was designed by Spanish award-winning architect Juan Navarro BaldewegJuan Navarro Baldeweg
Juan Navarro Baldeweg is a Spanish architect and professor at the Superior Technical School of Architecture of Madrid ....
. The land on which it was built was the "solar de Caballería", a large plot of land in central Burgos where once had stood the convent of San Pablo, one of the foremost houses of the Order of Preachers in Castile. After its demise in the mid-19th century, military barracks were built in its place.
The demolition of said barracks in the 20th century left a significant, purposeless void which was being used as a car park; not until 2000 was the decision made to build a museum on human evolution in its place. Navarro was chosen as the architect after an international competition
Architectural design competition
An architectural design competition is a special type of competition in which an organization or government body that plans to build a new building asks for architects to submit a proposed design for a building. The winning design is usually chosen by an independent panel of design professionals...
where his design won over others made by Cruz y Ortiz
Cruz y Ortiz
Cruz y Ortiz arquitectos is an Architectural studio founded by Antonio Cruz Villalón y Antonio Ortiz García. The studio have offices in Seville y Amsterdam.- Biography :...
, Steven Holl
Steven Holl
Steven Holl is an American architect and watercolorist, perhaps best known for the 1998 Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum in Helsinki, Finland, the 2003 Simmons Hall at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the celebrated 2007 Bloch Building addition to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City,...
, Arata Isozaki
Arata Isozaki
Arata Isozaki is a Japanese architect from Ōita. He graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1954. Isozaki worked under Kenzo Tange before establishing his own firm in 1963. He was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal in 1986.In 2005, Arata Isozaki founded the Italian branch of his office: Arata Isozaki &...
and Jean Nouvel
Jean Nouvel
Jean Nouvel is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of Mars 1976 and Syndicat de l'Architecture...
. Works on the site began in 2005 and are due to finish in 2012, although both the CENIEH and the Museum are already complete as of May, 2011.
Structure
The interior landscaping project recreates the scenery of the Sierra de Atapuerca. At the top of the pads create a faithful reproduction of the mountains.Level -1 is conceived as the heart of the museum. A single exhibition space in which to locate the archaeological and paleontological complex Reservoir in the Sierra de Atapuerca. The visitor can find a reproduction of the Sima de los Huesos as a three dimensional model and didactic. Within the first pill is located yacimentos Homo antecessor and Gran Dolina and Sima del Elefante.
Level 0 is dedicated to the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin and the history of human evolution. This plant is one of the most spectacular points of the museum: 10 ultra-realistic reproductions of human ancestors, made by French sculptor Elisabeth Daynes. The ten prints displayed are for:
- Australopithecus afarensis.
- Australopithecus africanus.
- Paranthropus boisei.
- Homo habilis
- Homo georgicus.
- Homo ergaster.
- Homo antecessor.
- Homo heidelbergensis.
- Homo neanderthalensis.
- Homo rhodesiensis.
Also on this floor is the reproduction of the stern of the famous ship HMS Beagle on which Darwin made his famous trip to the Galapagos Islands. On this floor the visitor can find the features unique to humans among which stands out the brain.
Level 1 answers, from a functional standpoint, why are so similar to the hunter - gatherer 9000 years ago, and yet so different. Access to culture plant is from the mechanical ramps. In this plant we review the different milestones of the evolution of culture.
Level 2 will recreate the three main ecosystems of human evolution: the jungle, savannah and tundra-steppe of the last glaciation