PRVÉ DOKLADY EPIPALEOLITICKÉHO OSÍDLENIA NA ÚZEMÍ LIPTOVA

• Authors: Paweł Valde-Nowak , Víťazoslav Struhár

Title variants

EN

First evidence of Epipalaeolithic settlement in Liptov

• Languages of publication: SK

Abstracts

EN

Long tradition of archaeological research in Liptov is in contrast with excavated Palaeolithic sites. Rescue excavation at the position of Kaštieľ sv. Žofie in northeast Ružomberok at the confluence of rivers Revúca and Váh in 2002 brought sporadic finds of chipped stone industry. Typology of raw materials dated them to the Epipalaeolithic. Typology of the artefacts is not distinctive. Blades and their fragments (6 pieces) occurred apart from flakes (4 pieces). Cultural classification of the artefacts is problematic; Swiderian or Magdalenian (recently proved at Stará Ľubovňa in Spiš) cultures are possible. The majority of finds from Ružomberok are obviously of Epipalaeolithic age, but with no further cultural classification. Camps situated in the vicinity of thermal springs are more numerous. Neanderthal men sought for hot springs as soon as in the middle Palaeolithic (Bešeňová). The finds of chipped stone industry from Ružomberok are the first evidence of Epipalaeolithic settlement in Liptov. Very probably it was a short-term hunter’s camp with advantageous position over the confluence of two rivers providing ideal conditions for tracking and hunting of migrating game. The new sporadic Epipalaeolithic finds are known from the other sites in Liptov (Východná and Liptovská Teplá-Kalameny) as well. The camps in Liptov were connected with Polish ones through the region of Orava where several Epipalaeolithic sites with occurrence of radiolarite and flint chipped stone industry were found. An isolated artefact on the line to Orava was found at the site of Oravice. Existing absence of Palaeolithic finds has been caused by insufficient field activities and detailed prospection and does not reflect real cultural conditions of prehistoric Liptov.

Keywords

EN

SLOVAKIA; LIPTOV; EPIPALAEOLITHIC; CHIPPED STONE INDUSTRY; CAMP SITE; THERMAL SPRINGS

• Publisher: Slovak Academy of Sciences, Archaeological Institute
• Journal: Študijné zvesti
• Year: 2008
• Issue: 43
• Pages: 251 - 258

Contributors

author

Paweł Valde-Nowak

• Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Instytut Archeologii, Gołębia 11, PL-31-007 Kraków, Poland

author

Víťazoslav Struhár