Folia archeologica 35.

HUNTED MAMMALS IN THE ISTÁLLÓSKC5 CAVE 17 — in case of large size animals (Equus, Cervus, Alces, Bison, Bos) the meat cut from the trunk and limbs were transported to the cave inside the hide together with the extremities of legs. The single meaty bone finds of Equus, Cervus and Bison as well as the higher occurrence of phalanges and dry bones suggest this, too. Wild boar, though a medium sized animal, is also included in the group oF large-sized animals because of its danger. In case of large-sized animals the separate transportation of meat and skinned hide is possible, too. Before the evaluation of the cave bear remains the following facts have to be mentioned in advance: at present 8543 cave bear remains are suitable for investigation, namely 6282 pieces

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2 found during the 1950/51 excavations and transported to the Museum of Natural Flistory and indirectly 2261 finds which originated from earlier excavations

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2:

! In 1947 77 % of the animal remains was found in the "in situ" big hearth unearthed from Layer IV in the middle part of the cave. It belongs to cave bears and 80 % consists of juveniles.

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4 The so-called "INQUA-trench" which was deepened in the entrance part oF the cave in 1948 yielded only teeth, an unbroken left side fore paw and some other remains of cave bears (Table 4).

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5 During the 1950/51 excavations totally 15 800 cave bear remains were found.

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6 From these only teeth, headparts, vertebrae, carpal/tarsal, metacarpal/metatarsal phalanges, ossa priapi and determinable long bone epiphyses and/or diaphyses were collected; totally 6282 pieces — 40 % of the whole cave bear bone quantity.

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7 This 40 % representative value decreases the employability oF the cave bear remains, but as the sorting out was made in every layer according to the same principles and practice the occurrence of different body regions represents the real values — except in the case of the bones of meaty limbs (long bone diaphyses !) where it can show only a relative frequency. It is well represented also by the comparison of the relative (Q) frequencies of body regions (Tables 5, 6). Comparing the relative (Q) frequency distribution of the cave bear remains with that of the cave bear hunters' open air Mousterian site at Erd-Upper culture layer

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8 we get the following results: 2

2 In the Palaeontological Department of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Inv_ №.: V.58.161.—

554. 2

3 Mottl, M., op. cit. (1944) 41—.; Vertes, L., op. cit. (1958—59) 196. 2

4 Vertes, L., op. cit. (1951a) 35.; Id. op. cit. (1958—59) 196. 2

5 Vértes, L., op. cit. (1951a) 16—, 2

e D. Jánossy's verbal communication. The distribution of remains per levels is unknown. 2

7 From the 11 787 bone remains found in the open-air site of cave bear hunters in the Upper level of Érd only 4444 (37,85 % !!) are suitable for archaeozoological reconstruction. See in Kret^oi, M., op. cit. (1968) 62—73., 237—239. In both sites the cracking of long bones of cavebears was part of the alimentation and was very intensive. 2

8 Kretxpi, M., op. cit. (1968) 233. The high ratio of head region remains of cave bears in the Au I.

—II. of Istállóskő cave is baseless. It derives from the great quantity of isolated teeth fallen from alveoli (Table 4).