Folia archeologica 35.
HUNTED MAMMALS IN THE ISTÁLLÓSKŐ CAVE 19 routes were the Bán valley and Eger valley extending to the NE and to the S respectively from the entrance of the Szalajka valley — which is the valley of the Istállóskő Cave. The Bán and Eger valleys are separated by a small hill ridge which forms the SE side of the entrance of the Szalajka valley. This narrow ridge could be an ideal migrating way and hunting place. The cave bear, the main big game of the hunters of the Istállóskő Cave, could be hunted in the close environment of the cave in the Bükk Mountains. The killing of the large sized and very strong cave bear was possible only with collective hunt or by stalking but in this case also only with the participation of more than one hunter. The weapons and especially the hunting method used by Aurignacian hunters was suitable for the killing of even adult male bears — this is proved by the great number of ossa priapi (191 pieces!). The period of the slaughter of foetus and newborn cubs was the end of spring and the beginning of summer. The hunting of adult cave bears was centinuous. Although additional hunted animals (Herbivores, Carnivores, blue hare) were found only in a small number they were significant because of their characteristics. The place and especially the period of their hunting depended first of all on that whether they were the permanent inhabitants of the given area or not. In our case it is possible that Rupicapra, Capra and Rangifer were periodic and winter wild animals in the Carpathian Basin. This supposition — unless we presume that the hunters undertook an unreasonably long trip for the sake of hunting and later returned to their home base with the meat, hides, etc. of hunted animals — puts the period of killing to the end of autumn — winter — early springtime period. Large size Herbivores (Equus, Bos, Bison, Alces, Cervus) were killed by collective hunting of great effective range while medium size ones, depending on their size and way of life, were killed by stalking and/or trapping. The Aurignacien I and II bone implements of the Istállóskő Cave show both quantitative and qualitative changes 3 0 which mean also chronological differences. At the same time these changes can be interpreted as changes took place in the function of the site and they are in close connection with the function of the implements. The most probable functions of the sites and site-parts of the Istállóskő Cave determined with the aid of the complex archaeozoological investigation of animal remains are the following: Layer I — Au. I: Summer-autumn hunters' camp, satellite site. A short, periodical occupation alternating with winter-springtime appearance of cave bears. Secondary butchery and eating place. Layer III — Au. II: Autumn-winter-springtime periodical home base site. Within the cave in front and in the rear secondary butchery and eating places, furthermore in the rear meat and hide depot. Layer IV: Autumn-winter (springtime?) permanent home base site. Within the cave in front secondary butchery, eating and animal skinning place; in the rear meat and hide depot. A buried mature cave bear skull and mandible 3 1 as 3 0 Vértes, L., op. cit. (1955) 129—, 144—, 282—, 3 1 Vértes, L., op. cit. (1951a) 36—.; Id., op cit. (1958—59) 151—, 2*
