Fülöp Éva – Cseh Julianna szerk.: „Die aktuellen Fragen des Mittelpaläolithikums in Mitteleuropa”. „Topical issues of the research of Middle Palaeolithic period in Central Europe”. Tata, 20-23 October 2003. (Tudományos Füzetek 12. Tata, 2004)

Lubomíra Kaminská: The Middle Palaeolithic settlements at the Skalka moundat Horka-Ondrej near Poprad (Slovakia)

The Middle Palaeolithic settlements at the Skalka mound at Hôrka-Ondrej near Poprád (Slovakia) LUBOMÍRA KAMINSKÁ Abstract Settlement from the older phase of the Middle Palaeolithic in Hôrka-Ondrej, Vysné Ruzbachy, Hranovnica and Beharovce was documented by numerous materials, stone tools, and remnants of fire-places. They were assigned to the early Mousterian. A continuation of the settlement in the middle phase of the Middle Palaeolithic is documented by research in Hôrka-Ondrej, area C and Gánovce. The chipped stone industry belongs to the Taubachian from thelastinterglacial(Eem),anditsauthors were pre-Neanderthal, as it was documented by the travertine cast of the scull from G ánovce.

1 A settlement from the younger phase of the Middle Palaeolithic was recovered in area A in Hôrka-Ondrej. An abundant stone industry from different phases of retouch suggests production at the site. Fire-places and bones of hunted animals were recovered from the working area of the camp site. Evidence of settlement from the older phase of the Middle Palaeolithic through the middle to the younger phase, belonging to the Mousterien, documented by the U/Th dating, and by the results of several analyses and geological observations was obtained at the locality Hôrka-Ondrej. Topography and research of the locality The village Hôrka, local part Ondrej, is situated 8 km to the SE from the town Poprád, in a territory which is rich in travertine mounds formed by the mineral springs. Archaeological finds come only from the mound located at the northern edge of the village, immediately at the main road Poprad-Levoca, 635 m above sea level. This mound is in the literature known under several names, for example: Kamen or Skalka,

2 Smrecányi rock,

3 or also as no name mound.

4 Travertine mining in the 1930s seriously damaged the travertine mound. Later the mining continued to a smaller extent. F. Prosek, E. Vlcek, and V. Lozek carried out research at the mound in 1955-1960 when the quarry was active. Originally they described four overlaying cultural beds with finds of Mousterian chipped stone industry.

5 1 VLCEK 1969. 2 LOZEK 1958, 39.; IVAN 1943,13.; KOVANDA 1971,171.; KOVANDA 1995,113. 3 BÁRTA 1974,141.; KAMINSKÁ 1988, 74. 4 BÁNESZ 1990, 50. 5 PROSEK-LOZEK 1957, 57., Fig. 7, 8. 191