Folia archeologica 30.

Viola T. Dobosi - István Vörös: Adatok a lovasi őskori festékbánya leletegyüttesének értékeléséhez

12 V. T. DOBOSI—[

. VÖRÖS пае, 6 pes of dext. metacarpus distalis diaphysis (mc

3), 7 metatarsus fragments (sin. dext. metatarsus diaphysis cortex pc, 5 metatarsus diaphysis cortex fragments), metapodium diaphysis cortex fragment 11 pseudometapodia (mc

5;

2), tibia 5 fragments (2 pes of sin. tibia diaphysis, 3 frgs of tibia diaphysis cortex), os phalangis I fragment, os phalangis II. 2. Cervus elaphus Linné - 8 antler fragments (5 tine pes, 5 tine pes, 5 antler cortex fragments, 7 rib fragments, 2 dext. scapula fragments, metatarsus proximalis diaphysis cortex piece, tibia diaphysis cortex fragment. 3. Kangifer tarandus (Linné) - dext. naturally cast juvenile beam. 4. Capra (Ibex) carpathorum (Koch) - metapodial half piece of diaphysis. 5. Sus scrof

a Linné -sin. corpus mandibulae oral part. 6. Fquus sp. ind. - dext. calcaneus fragment. 7. Grus gr

us (Linné) - sin. tibio-tarsus distal end. At Hungarian Upper Pleistocene sites finds of elks are relatively rare.According to our present knowledge their occurrence is confined to two faunal phases: I., Varbó phase (Jánossy): belonging to faunas, representing the moderate, leafy forest environment, known in the interglacial period of the Riss-Würm from the fauna of the Lambrecht Cave

1

4 and from that of the Tarkő rock shelter,Block II-VII.

1

5 II; Istállóskő phase (KretzoiVértes): as a member of humid woodland faunas of the Lower Würm after the cold maximum, without any arctic elements, as known from the sites Szelim Cave B-C,

1

0 Jankovich Cave (without stratigraphical indication),

1

7 Büdöspest Cave,

1

8 Ottó Herman Cave,

1

9 Bodrogkeresztúr-Henyetető

20, and the Istállóskő Cave.

2

1 For the characterisation of the body measures of the elk, found on the area of the Lovas paint mine, we can use the osteometrical data of the phalanges. The mediansagittal length of the os phalanx I. (Fig. 6. no. 8) is 80- mm (the proximal epiphysis is damaged, the measure datum is completed), the width of the distal epiphysis is 33 mm. The mediansagittal length of the os phalangis II. (Fig. 6. no. 7) is 60 mm, the width of the proximal epiphysis 33 mm, the minimal width of the diaphysis 23 mm, the width of the distal epiphysis 27 mm. From the measure data of the phalanges as well as from the sturdiness of the worked ulnae (22 pes) and antler tines it can be stated that the Lovas elks were powerfully built. The antlers differ in their build from those known from the Upper Pleistocene; the huge tines are closer to antlers of the more ancient Alces latifrons. The ecological demands of the elk are bound, it is a dweller of swamp woods, of loose, sandy soils. The red deer belongs to the constant members of Upper Pleistocene faunas; it is also a mammal having a woodland milieu. 1

4 Id., Acta Zool. loc. cit. 1

5 Id., Karszt- és Barlangkutatás 8(1973-74) 11. 1

6 Vértes, L., Az őskőkor és az átmeneti kőkor emlékei Magyarországon. Régészeti Kézikönyv. I. (Budapest 1965) 345. ' 1

7 Hillebrandt,]., Barlangkutatás 7(1919) Fig. 3. 1

8 Mottl, M., Földi:. Int. Jel. 1941. 15. 1

9 Éhik, Gy., Barlangkutatás 4(1916)25. 2

0 Vértes, L., Acta Arch. Hung. 18(1966) 7. 2

1 Jánossy, D., Acta Arch. Hung. 6(1955) 149.