Eudald Carbonell was born in Ribes de Freser (Gerona) in 1953. He is currently a professor of pre-history at the Univseridad Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, and co-director of the First Settlers of Atapuerca project. Amongst various prizes, he has received the Príncipe de Asturias prize for Scientific and Technical Research, the Castilla y León prize for Sciences and Social Sciences and the City of Alcalá World Heritage Site Prize. He is also a member of the council of the Prehistory Department of the Musée de l'Homme in Paris. He has contributed to more than 250 specialist publications and is the author of more than fifteen science books.