Folia archeologica 49-50.
Kovács Tibor: A múltat idézve, előre tekintve emlékezzünk! 200 éves a Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum
18 VIOLA T. DOBOSI VÉRTESSZŐLŐS Chronology: Lower Palaeolithic site dated to the Mindéi I — II interstadial Mindéi II period. Absolute chronological data on the site vary between extreme values. The relative chronological position of the site is clear on the basis of terrace morphological position, some archaic elements of the fauna, and relict floral elements from the Tertiary period. Settlement: The karstic springs active at the beginning of the second glaciation along the river terrace formed in the Early Pleistocene built up 8-10 m wide basins with vertical walls. After the springs run dry, the drying calcareous tuff basins were five times used for settlement by prehistoric men. The five layers of settlement were found in loose and hardened lime silt, in loess and sandy loess sediments with rich natural scientific evidence (small and large mammals, Ostracoda and malacofauna, micro and macro plant fossils etc.). Human remains comprise the occipital bone of a grown-up man and fragments of milk teeth of a child. The cultural layer (flakes, tools, animal bones accumulated as kitchen debris) could reach at some points 60 cm thickness. The hearth places radially constructed from small broken animal bones have special significance in cultural history. Description of the bone tool, its anatomical position and technology of production: "Hand axe" Inv. nr. Pb 66/909 Proboscidean tibia, sin., a medial deltoide shape piece: split long bone retouched fragmen t (Fig. 1). Size: 235-89 mm. The technique of preparation, the working method is the same chopper-retouch by which the stone tools were formed. The result is different to the extent explained by the difference in raw material and apparent size. The sides of the "hand-axe" were formed by steep retouch, the (jointed ends thinned by scaled retouch. The piece is in poor state of preservation with fresh damages. Function: This bulky object was the largest piece in the total tool kit. Its partially thinned rim and blunted end rendered it suitable for the processing of soft materials (hide) or loose media (earth, calcareous tuff), similar to the bone tools described Bilzingsleben 7 Fossilisation did not favour the preservation of use-wear diagnostic of function. During the excavation, the bones remained greasy as soap while after drying became porose and fragile, with no traces observable on the bone surface for use-wear analysis. Associated fauna: The object was found in the lowermost, richest level, where the most important elements of the fauna comprised Macaca sylvana, Trogontherium schmerlingi, Machairodontidae. The most frequent "kitchen debris" (broken/butchered animal bones on the settlement) were remains of the species Cervus elaphus, Equus mosbachensis, Stephanorhinus. Our piece is the single Proboscidean find on the settlement. On a piece of the bone, albumin-residue analysis was performed in the hope to be able to determine the exact Proboscidean species within the genus, as the species could be an essential element of the fauna. The analysis, however, could not give further data. On the basis of the biostratigraphical evaluation of Elephantidae remains of the non-archaeological sites of the Middle Pleistocene period, I. Vörös described the species as Mammuthus (Parelephas) trogontherii POHLIG 1885.* 7 Maniaa 1993 8 Vörös 1998
