Folia archeologica 54.

Vörös István: Pézsmatulok (Ovibos pallantis H. Smith) koponyalelet a zebegényi epigravetti vadásztelepen

PÉZSMATULOK KOPONYALELET A ZF.BEGÉNYI EPIGRAVE ГП VADÁSZ TELEPEN 55 The late Upper Palaeolithic site at Zebegény-Kálvária-hegy can be assigned to the Epigravettian, the same period as the open-air campsites at Pálrét, Tetves, Diós and Bitóc in the Pilismarót area on the Danube's right bank. The Kálvária-hegy site at Zebegény was a seasonal "transfer" camp established opposite the hunter's camps on the right Danube bank. A total of 55 sites yielding the remains of large mammals are known from the 34-35 km long section between Szob and Vác in the Danube Bend: 22 of these, dating from the late Upper Palaeolithic, yielded the remains of various hunted species. The Danube Valley was one of the most important west to east and east to west communications routes of Central Europe already during the Palaeolithic. The concentration of Upper Palaeolithic sites in the Danube Bend can undoubtedly be linked to hunting activities and the proximity of caves and rock-shelters suitable for food storage and habitation in the Duna-zug Mountains. In autumn, the reindeer herds migrated into the Carpathian Basin along the Danube Valley. From the river's right bank, the herds could move towards the hilly regions in Transdanubia. Approaching the Danube Bend, they found excellent grazing land in the Tata Basin and in the Dorog Basin further down. No more than a narrow zone was negotiable on the river's two banks in the Danube Bend. The Palaeolithic hunters exploited this natural advantage when they observed the herds' movement from vantage points on the higher "terraces", from where they descended to the river bank to hunt down their prey from among the creatures congregating at the fords or swimming across the river. The butchering and dismemberment of the animals was probably performed in these spots. The settlement features offer some clues as to the nature of the activities conducted in the hunters' camps on the terraces, as well as to the duration of their occupation. Fhe tool-kit of the lithic industry varies, with a special composition reflecting the basic activ ities. The range of tools used at the campsites is much smaller than that of the tools used on permanent settlements. "Fhe most frequently hunted species was reindeer. Bison and steppean Equus were quite frequent during the early period, becoming scarcer toward the glacial maximum. The dominance of these two species can be taken as an indication of summer hunting activity. Various carnivores and arctic hare appear on larger settlements. Interrupted by brief spells of slightly milder weather, the climate during the glacial maximum was colder and dryer than in the preceding period, fhe glacial maximum is generally dated to around 18,000 BP; this period, which can more accurately be described as an extremely cold and dry period, lasted from 20,000 to 16,000 BP in Europe. On the testimony of the animal remains from the hunters' camps, the most commonly hunted species were reindeer and/or wild horse. While the climate of the Carpathian Basin can hardly be described as arctic even during the coldest period, arctic species such as wolverine, arctic fox, arctic hare, reindeer and musk-ox did appear in the region. Wolverine can be regarded as the "coldest" species of the glacial fauna known from the Zebegény loess. The F^pigravettian seasonal hunters' camp at Zebegény-Kálvária-hegy can be dated to the foreststeppe tundra period which directly preceded the glacial maximum (Würm III) and can put to the close of the Pilisszántó fauna phase. Translated by Magdalena Seleanu