Pleistocene landslides and mammoth bone deposits: The case of Dolní Věstonice II, Czech Republic

0511092 - ARÚB 2020 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Svoboda, J. - Krejčí, O. - Krejčí, V. - Dohnalová, A. - Sázelová, Sandra - Wilczyński, J. - Wojtal, P.
Pleistocene landslides and mammoth bone deposits: The case of Dolní Věstonice II, Czech Republic.
Geoarchaeology: an international journal. Roč. 34, č. 6 (2019), s. 745-758. ISSN 0883-6353. E-ISSN 1520-6548
Institutional support: RVO:68081758
Keywords : Czech Republic * Dolní Věstonice * Gravettian * landslide * mammoth bone deposit * site * Central Europe
OECD category: Archaeology
Impact factor: 1.906, year: 2019
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/gea.21740

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 Dolni Vestonice 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.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0301418