Viola T. Dobosi: Paleolithic Man in the Által-ér Valley (Tata, 1999)

Vértesszalos - Settlement of Early Man The settlement of Early Man at Vértesszőlős attained outstanding fame among the sights of the place. Professionals all over the world known the name of this village at the feet of the Gerecse Mts. on the strength of this site. Its research history is similar to a lot of other Palaeolithic sites: it was known earlier to geologists, palaeontologists than to archaeologists. The study of Roman period sites of the region started in the 19th century directed attention to the raw material, preferably used for constructions and stone-carving by the Romans: porous, easily worked, insulating and decorative travertine. The quest for the raw materials sources meant an initiative for the sinter occurrences covering in thick layers the foothill slopes of the Gerecse Mountains. The formation of the calcareous tuff is quoted here from the geographer Jenő Cholnoky. A more scientific explanation on the physico-chemical processes could be probably given, but none which is more clear and expressive. „... calcareous tuff is always deposited covering the vegetation at the bottom of the valley. We all know that in the water containing soluted carbonate, lime is present in the form of calcium bicarbonate, because this is easily dissolved in water. When the water is losing its Fig. 3. Vértesszőlős, settlement of Early Man carbonic acid gas content due to any reason, the calcium bicarbonate is loosing a molecule of carbonic acid and turns back to calciumcarbonate. This common limestone is hardly soluble therefore most of it is precipitated and turns to dripstone in the caves or carbonatic coating. We know that living plants, especially some algae take up a lot of carbonic acid from the water and the air and therefore we can see on the blocks of stone along the shore of the Balaton lake a limestone coating. Karstic water poured on living plants therefore will lose its soluted lime content and a thick limy coating will be formed. The rotting of dead plants, at the same time, will produce carbonic acid gas. The karstic water getting on rotten plants, there19