Premium
Pleistocene landslides and mammoth bone deposits: The case of Dolní Věstonice II, Czech Republic
Author(s) -
Svoboda Jiří,
Krejčí Oldřich,
Krejčí Vladimíra,
Dohnalová Alena,
Sázelová Sandra,
Wilczyński Jarosław,
Wojtal Piotr
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
geoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1520-6548
pISSN - 0883-6353
DOI - 10.1002/gea.21740
Subject(s) - mammoth , archaeology , pleistocene , geology , czech , landslide , geography , geomorphology , philosophy , linguistics
The formation of extensive mammoth bone deposits is a characteristic feature of the large Upper Paleolithic settlements of the Moravian Gravettian (approximately 30 ky cal BP). Some of these were preferentially deposited in moist locations, possibly for reasons of hygiene and conservation. Here, we present a case of a mammoth bone deposit located in a side gully below the Dolní Věstonice II settlement, where an earlier a Pleistocene landslide temporarily created a shallow water basin. The environmental record is provided by analyses of pollen and mollusks. The structure of the osteological and archaeological assemblages suggests the use of this location as a place for storage, garbage disposal, and related activities. We suggest that the mammoth remains were transported to such places by humans either directly from nearby kill sites, or, after first selection, from the nearby settlement. We also discuss possible facilities for such transport.