Čertova pec
Čertova pec | |
Alternative name | Devil's furnace |
---|---|
Location | near Radošina, Považský Inovec mountains |
Region | Nitra Region, Slovakia |
Coordinates | 48°33′37″N 17°54′55″E / 48.56028°N 17.91528°E |
History | |
Periods | Palaeolithic |
Čertova pec (Template:Lang-en) is a small karst cave in the Považský Inovec mountains of Slovakia. It is located near Radošina, in the Nitra Region. As well as being a modern recreational site, the cave is known to have yielded material evidence of repeated human presence and habitation during the Stone Age.
Overview
The cave with total length of 27 m (89 ft),[1] is a protected natural monument due to its paleontological significance.[1] The surrounding area of Certova pec is also a recreational site which includes a motel, a campsite, and a playground.[1] There are three hiking trails in the vicinity.[2]
Paleontology
The site has yielded relics of multiple habitation phases during the Palaeolithic period.[1] The earliest finds are attributed to the Mousterian culture (associated primarily with Neanderthals).[3] In addition to this is an assemblage of objects tentatively associated with the Szeletian culture, a local designation that roughly corresponds with the contemporary Gravettian culture.[4] A radiocarbon date of Szeletian cultural artifacts suggests prehistoric human presence in the cave at around 38,400 years ago.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d Pšenková, Vlasta (1994). Pozoruhodnosti Slovenska. Kubko-Goral. p. 18.
- ^ Mallows, Lucy (2007). Slovakia. p. 139. ISBN 1841621889.
- ^ Strhan, Milan; Daniel, David P. (1994). Slovakia and the Slovaks: A Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopedical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. p. 492.
- ^ a b Adams, B. (2009). "Bukk Mountain Szeletian". In Camps, Marta; Chauhan, Parth (eds.). Sourcebook of Paleolithic Transitions: Methods, Theories, and Interpretations. Springer. p. 432. ISBN 0387764879.
External links
- Devil's Furnace Cave, Topoľčany Cluster project