The Foundation for Research into Prehistory and Human Evolution (in Spanish, Fundación Instituto de Investigación de Prehistoria y Evolución Humana or FIPEH) is a nonprofit organization which was founded in 2012 with the purpose of supporting research in prehistory and human evolution in the south of the Iberian Peninsula.   

 

In order to expand knowledge of this period, FIPEH promotes and supports multidisciplinary research that includes archaeology, geology, anthropology, paleontology, paleoecology, zooarchaeology, botany, genetics, chemistry and physics. FIPEH also provides grants for young researchers whose interest focuses on the Quaternary Period.

 

The board of directors of FIPEH is composed of ten entrepreneurs and scientific researchers under FIPEH President and founder, Cecilio Barroso Ruiz, PhD (Prehistory, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris). The foundation is endorsed by a committee of researchers of international prestige such as  Dr. Henry de Lumley (Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle), Dr. Marie-Antoinette de Lumley (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Dr. Pascual Rivas (Universidad de Granada), Dr. Eudald Carbonell i Roura (Universitat Rovira i Virgili), Dr. Bienvenido Martínez-Navarro (Universitat Rovira i Virgili) and Dr. Paul Palmqvist (Universidad de Málaga).

 

Currently, FIPEH is involved in three research projects:

 

Neanderthals in South Iberia (Málaga): A site located in the region of Boquete de Zafarraya where remains of nine different Neanderthal individuals were found.

 

Cueva de Ángel (Córdoba): An Acheulean occupation with remains of fire and large herbivores (horses, bison, oxen, boars, deer, rhinoceros, etc), along with carnivores such as bears and wolves. After the disappearance of the hominids related to the Acheulean industry, the cave was used by modern humans during Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods for death-related activities. Currently, FIPEH is working on a project whose purpose is to obtain and study the DNA of these occupants. More information...

 

The Pleistocene and Holocene cultures in the karstic complex of Serrezuela de Bedmar (Jaén): A site discovered recently by FIPEH where several caves and rocky shelters are being excavated. The goal of this project is to determine a record of the human occupation of this region all along prehistory (all periods). More information...

 

In order to accomplish these projects, FIPEH recruited an international team of researchers, with more than 60 members enlisted. Also, FIPEH signed collaboration agreements with several domestic and European institution and organizations. These institutions are: 

 

Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain).

 

Escuela Superior de Conservación y Restauración (Madrid, Spain).

 

Universidad de Málaga (Málaga Spain).

 

Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France).

 

Institut de Paleontologie Humaine (Paris, France).

 

Centre Europée de Recherches Préhistoriques (Tautavel, Francia).