Folia archeologica 30.

Viola T. Dobosi - István Vörös: Adatok a lovasi őskori festékbánya leletegyüttesének értékeléséhez

FOLIA ARCHAEOLOGICA XXX. 1979 BUDAPEST DATA TO AN EVALUATION OF THE FINDS ASSEMBLAGE OF THE PALAEOLITHIC PAINT MINE AT LOVAS Viola T. DOBOSI - István VÖRÖS In 1950-51, on a plateau on the confines of the village Lovas a Palaeolithic paint mine has been uncovered, due partly to a dolomite gravel stripping, partly to a systematical excavation. Invited by the director of the museums of County Veszprém we made sondage diggings in summer 1977 in the hope of finding another paint accumulation, mine pits or the settlement vainly sought for in 195051. The excavation led, though, to no results. The mining, carried on intensively, though only with man-power since the first excavation until 1974-75, destroyed the one-time mine pits. The present mine is bordered on its N-NW side by a vertical, fibrous dolomite layer, running under a very thin humous stratum; on the S-SE side the mine can be still expanded, though the gravel production is presently suspended and there are no plans as for a re-opening in the near future, either. By cleaning the profile and opening some sections we found on several places dolomite gravel dyed more or less with a red paint. No unmixed paint pockets, mine pits, tools or even manuport stone sorts were found in the course of the excavation. For several reasons we found it, though, necessary, to carry on a new examination of the find assemblage. 1. We think that the mine tools of Lovas did not receive attention equal to their importance; this outstanding tool assemblage is unjustly neglected in the special literature. 2. No revised documentation of the animal bone material exists. 3. The elaboration of the bone tools, found at Vértesszőlős after the publication of the Lovas find, resp. the intensive study of the antler tools excavated in more recent silex mines allowed an improvement of our knowledge on the technology of the production of bone implements. 4. The chronological situation of the Transdanubian find places of leafshaped tools - among them Lovas - has changed with a revaluation of the stratigraphical relations and of the attendant finds.