A Herman Ottó Múzeum évkönyve 47. (2008)

Kordos László-Szolyák Péter: A hámori Herman Ottó-barlang pleisztocén gerinces maradványai és a „középső felső-pleisztocén" faunája a Kárpát-medencében

The caves have six common features: 1. The diversity of species is remarkably low (20-33 mammalian taxons). Probably, this number would not grow considerably in case of taking larger samples. 2. Basically, the faunal remain are the same in the different thick layers of the three caves. Above we presented the sequence of'the Arvicolida species in the Herman Ottó Cave. In the Istállóskö Cave, the Microtus arvalis is dominant with 44—67%. Microtus gregalis is represented with 920%. The proportion of Arvicola terrestris is between 6% and 19%. The Microtus arvalis>Myodes glareolus> Microtus gregalis sequence is significant in the No. 1 Section of the Szeleta Cave. 3. The presence of Lagurus lagurus was provable in the 5/IV level of Herman Ottó Cave. Their remains were also found in those levels of the Istállós-kő Cave, which are situated below the No. II. cultural layer. This species has not known from the Szeleta Cave yet. 4. Common species are the Ursus arctos, Canis lupus, Crocotta, Cervus, Rangifer, Alces, Megaceros and the Bos. The Ursus spelaeus is dominant in both the Szeleta and the Istállós-kő Cave, but it is sporadically in the Herman Ottó Cave. The Mammuthus, Coelodonta, Bison, Equus and the Leo are absent alone from the Herman Ottó Cave, probably, because of the special taphonomy of the site. Exception Ursus spelaeus, all of the bigger mammalian species are rare enough. 5. Those species are absent from the faunal remain, which lived on extremely interglacial or glacial, woodland and steppe environmental. We could mention here the snakes, the bats, the shrews with white teeth, the filbert mice, the mice, the mole-rats, the squirrels, the common voles and the lemmings. 6. There is general presence of some species in all of three caves. The Ochotona, Sicista and Citellus are typical steppe species, which lived continuously during the Upper Pleistocene. There is the same situation with the Talpa, Erinaceus and Myodes, which demanded forest or opened environment with soil. Basically, the vertebrate faunal remain of the three caves are the same. The era of them was named Middle Würm in the classical terminology. In Hungary, it corresponds to the Istállós-kő fauna level. (Kretzoi, 1953; Kretzoi and Vértes, 1965; Jánossy, 1979) In that time, the climate was cool and continental. The mammoth steppe ecosystem survived from the previous term. The arctic and the typical steppe species disappeared. Those species, which had preferred more humid and woodland environment, appeared. In climato-stratigraphical context, this was an interglacial stage, which had become more and more continental. It can be correlated with the Danekamp/Arcy/Stillfried B/Paudorf/Göttweig/ Pod Hradem/ PK1 interstadials of Middle Würm/Weichselian/Middle Pleniglacial stages. (Ravazzi, 2003; Albrecht, et al., 1972) The Danekamp, Hengclo, Moershoofd climatic stages of the Emiliani 3 Stage are not detected based upon the vertebrate fauna. (Ringer. 2002) 4. Notes to the connection between Palaeolithic knapped stones and the faunal remain (Péter Szolyák) An accentuated aim of the excavations in 2005 and 2006 was to collect numerous faunal remain in case of finding untouchable layers of Ottokár Kadic. We planned that we use the samples to gain data to reconstruct the climate and the environment of Ice Age. We also wanted to take more correct the relative and absolute chronology of the Palaeolithic assemblage. We did not found remain of the No.l (stream-gravel), No. 2 (yellow clay with limestone debris) and the No. 3 (yellow limestone breccia) layers of Kadic. On the other hand, we were able to document the No. 4 (yellow fine sand), No. 5 (yellow clay) and the No. 6 (brown limestone debris) layers in dual position. Remain of three layers were researchable on the wall of the B2 part of the cave. The layers are separated clearly from each other and from remain of the No. 9 and 10 Holocene layers of Kadic. (Fig. 2) We also found large continuous parts of the No. 4 and 5 layers on the rock-bottom. These patches were situated on the northern and the southern ends of the No. 1 Cranny (B2 part of the cave). We could collect faunal remain just from the No. 5 layer. Five knapped stones had been also recovered from there (Ringer et al, 2006).