Rock shelters

Schwarcz HP, Harmon RS, Thompson P, Ford DC (1976) Stable isotope studies of fluid inclusions in speleothems and their paleochmatic significance. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 40 657-665 Schwarcz HP, Rink WJ (2001) Dating methods for sediments of caves and rock shelters. Geoarchaeology 16 355-372... 

Dead bodies can be naturally mummified under a variety of environmental conditions, such as (1) at extremely low temperatures, about and below the freezing point of water, in extremely cold regions of the world (2) in very dry and hot environments, as in desert areas and in some caves and rock shelters or (3) under anaerobic (oxygen-free) conditions, as in bogs (see Chapter 8). 

A charcoal sample taken from a fire pit in an archeological excavation of a rock shelter was believed to have been formed when early occupants of the shelter burned wood for cooking. A 100-mg sample of pure carbon from the charcoal was found in 1979 to have a disintegration rate of 0.25 counts per minute. How many millennia (1000 years) ago did the tree grow that was burned, producing the charcoal (Use the data from Problem 21.11.)... 

Because of its faunistical composition, I now give a detailed description of the lowermost layers of rock shelter no. 1 of Uppony. These lower layers were divided by a 30-40 cm thick layer of calcite sediment from those above. Of the set of layers below that of no. 8 (for their stratigraphical position see the description of the site), I present here the list of fossils from the richest one, layer no. 10). The lower layers are brown but not reddish in colour as are the usual, similar-aged sediments of the Lower Pleistocene this is perhaps explained by the northern exposme of the shelter. 

Fig. 13. Characteristic index fossil of the older phases of the Middle Pleistocene, the vole Mimomys savini Hinton, (a) and (b) Occlusal surface of the first molar of a young and an adult specimen (c) and (d) same from lateral view occlusal surface of (e) M2 (f) M2 and (g) M] (upper first molar). Characteristic from lateral view is the weak development of roots. Locality rock shelter of Tarkd.

Fig. 14. Horizontal plan of the rock shelter of Tarko. I-VII. Upper Pleistocene 1-18. location of Middle Pleistocene strata -----the original (apparent) back wall of the rock shelter.

The Tarko rock shelter was formed in Triassic (Anisian) limestone below the peak of Tarkd mountain, on the edge of the Biikk Plateau, at an altitude of about 850 m a.s.l. Its original size was 20-22 m wide by 3-4 m long (Fig. 14). 

Picture 14. Distant view of the rock shelter of Tarko (photo by Mrs D. Janossy). 

Picture 15. Excavation of the Middle Pleistocene layers in the inner chamber of the rock shelter of Tarkd (photo by Gy. Topdl). 

Fig. 16. Schematic drawings of the occlusal surface of the upper third molars (M, upper row) and lower first molars (Mj, lower row) of the rootless steppe lemming species stratigraphically characteristic of the Middle and Upper Pleistocene, (a) and (e) Lagurus pannonicus, Kovesvarad (b), (c) and (f), (g) Lagurus transiens, rock shelter of Tark6 (d) and (h) Lagurus lagurus, Subalyuk.

Fig. 17. Diagram depicting the percentile frequencies of vole species in the strata of the Middle Pleistocene of the rock shelter of Tarko (photo Kordos). l.Pitymys arvalidens 2. Microtus arvalinus 3. Myodes sp. 4. Arvicola cantiana 5. Microtus gregalis+Piiymys gregaloides 6. Lagurus transiens 7. Pliomys sp. 8. Microtus ratticepoides 9. Dicrostonyx sp. 10. Lemmus aS. lemmus 11. Mimomys...

Fig. 18. Diagram of the percentile distribution of climatically significant finds in the Middle Pleistocene strata of the rock shelter of Tarko. Symbols to the pollen diagrams 1. Firm-, 2. Juglans 3. Carpinus 4. Quercus 5. Tilia 6. Aims 7. Betula 8. Picea 9. Abies 10. Polypodiaceae 11. Gramineae 12. Fungi.

Picture 16. Inner chamber of rock shelter no. 1 of Uppony (photo by Gy. Topal). 

Rock shelter no. 1 of Uppony is situated in a ravine about 400 m east of the edge of the village, in the northern ledge of the Vlzkoz Hill. The rocks are grey, stratified, fossil-less Lower Carboniferous-Devonian ( ) limestone (Picture 16). The shelter is found opposite to the small bridge suspended above the stream, 47 m above the foot of the valley, at an altitude of 287 m a.s.l. 

In 1949, Vertes explored several niches around Uppony, and he named the locality as rock shelter no. 1 (1950a). 

In 1963, I decided to try to collect microfauna with the modern washing method from the remaining sediment of the rock shelter, which could aid chronological determination. The excavations were begun in the summer of that year. 

Fig. 21. Horizontal plan of the rock shelter no. 1 of Uppony. A. side passage with sediments of layers 2-5 B. side chamber with sediments of layers 13 and 14 C. the excavation pit of 1963, which cut into layers 6-12. Hatching indicates the location of the remaining material from layer no. 1.

Fig. 22. Profile of the filling material of rock shelter no. 1. of Uppony. For locations of profiles A-D, see Fig. 21. Entries on left are strata numbers of Vertes, on the right, those of Janossy. For further details, see the text.

As in the case of the Tarkd rock shelter, for the similar locality of Uppony we may obtain a novel impression of the events of the phase in question of the Pleistocene, by means of complex microstratigraphical analyses. 

Fig. 23. Mineralogical-genetical evaluation of lithological tests on the series of layers from rock shelter no. 1. of Uppony (after Brunnacker).

Fig. 24. Diagram depicting percentile distribution of various vole species in the series of layers in the material of rock shelter no. 1 of Uppony. 1. Microtus arvalis 2. Microtus gregalis 3. Microtus oeconomus 4. Microtus nivalis, 5. Pitymys arvalidens, 6. Arvicola sp. I 7. Dicrostonyx sp. 8. My odes sp. 9. Pliomys sp.

A problem common all over Europe is also prevalent in Hungary, i.e. the fauna succession is disrupted in one or another phase of the Middle Pleistocene. Starting from the series of the Villany mountains and Osztramos, through the series of layers of the Tarkd rock shelter, including V6rtessz616s and the Varbarlang (Castle... 

Of the faunas belonging to this group, I begin with that of the niche part of the Tarko rock shelter (for a description of the locality, see the treatment of the Tarkdian substage). Kadic and Mottl (1944) excavated in the rock shelter and published the following fauna (with numbers of specimens) from Upper Pleistocene sediments. 

The type locality of the phase to be described here is rock shelter no. 1 of Pilis-szanto. This designation is well justified, since this is the richest cave fauna of the Upper Pleistocene so far found in Hungary and it will therefore be presented in detail. 

The rock shelter is situated in Upper Triassic (Dachstein) limestone of the Pilis Hill, in the vicinity of Pilisszanto, about 10 km north-northeast of Budapest, at an altitude of 423 m a.s.l. 

One of the reasons for the richness of the faunal assemblage of the rock shelter of Pilisszanto might be the fact that this locality was at the time of deposition superbly suited for human settlement and also for birds of prey and carnivorous mammals. 

Geographically the nearest to Pilisszanto no. 1 is rock shelter Pilissz td no. 2 Vertes excavated this in 1946 and published descriptions of its fauna and filling material in 1965. I present here a revised list of the original material of the upper layers (referred to as Upper Magdalenian , later as tufaceous layers, loess and loessy clay ), with numbers of specimens ... 

The Bivak cave, already mentioned above in connection with its lower strata, is situated on the other (northwestern) side of the Pilis Hill. Two Gravettian implements of non-cave nature (Vertes, 1965, p. 195) have been found in its upper loessy layer. The rodent fauna is very similar in composition to that of rock shelter no. 1 of Pilisszanto [arctic lemming Dicrostonyx), snow vole, and the narrow-skulled vole Microtus nivalis and gregalis) (twice as many specimens as the former two)], but in the large-mammal fauna the cave bear (U. spelaeus) predominates. Thus, since the two localities are so close geographically, the differences that exist between the two faunas are due to stratigraphical rather than facies differences. The yellowish stratum of the Bivak cave must certainly be dated as older than Pilisszanto no. 1. 

This phase is somewhat transitional between the Pilisszantdian and the next substages. The locality of the rock shelter of Remetehegy (Remete Hill) which provides key fauna is probably due to local conditions very special (the rock shelter was very small) it did not contain any archaeological remains. 

The site is situated northwest of Budapest, at the conjunction of the Remete ravine and the Nagykovdcsi valley, at an altitude of 338 m a.s.l., formed in Triassic (Dach-stein) limestone 54 m above the valley of the stream. The rock shelter is 7 m wide and only 6 m long at the back it narrows down to 3.5 by 3.8 m, where it ends in a 10-12 m high shaft, which must have served as roosting place for owls. 

I now describe the material of the Remete cave, situated only 10 m lower than the rock shelter of Remetehegy. It was found in a similar mineral to the previous material, ca. 10 m above the stream, where I excavated in the summer of 1949 on behalf of Vertes. During this work, about 6-7 m of humus was removed, followed by (a) a reddish-brown layer, (b) yellow loessy clay, (c) reddish-brown Pleistocene clay again. Remains of the following species (with numbers of specimens) were found (Janossy, 1953b, and subsequent identifications) ... 

The layer of the Remete cave which already contained the field mouse Apodemusy characteristic of the Holocene is unequivocally younger than the material of the rock shelter of Remetehegy. Since I was rather a beginner at the time of excavation and used somewhat obsolete methods, the material is not suited for further conclusions. 

I now describe in detail the documentary material of the microvertebrate fauna of the stratum of rock shelter no. 1 of Rejtek, which is transitional between the Pleistocene and the Holocene and depict graphically the changes which took place over the time period of deposition of the series of layers. The rock shelter was formed... 

Fig. 36. Horizontal plan of the rock shelter of Rejtek, and longitudinal section of the excavations (A-B). I-III excavation blocks 1-7 numbering of the strata C and D pilot pits of 1957-1958 E rock ceiling F and G bottom of the hollow and boulders H back wall and boulder J side passage P fix point K trench.

Fig. 37. Percentile distribution in each of the strata, of charcoal and rodents in the series of layers in the rock shelter of Rejtek (compared with the changes in frequency of occurrence of other strati-graphically-climatologically significant vertebrates.)...

The washed material from a small post-glacial lentil of the foreground of the rock shelter of Tarko also represents a similar stage (Picture 21) the following finds were found in a 50 cm thick layer of reddish-brown clay containing rubble (with number of specimens/individuals) ... 

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