Moravský Krumlov IV - a New Multilayer Palaeolithic Site in Moravia, the Czech Republic (original) (raw)

The site of Moravský Krumlov IV (MK IV) lies in the Krumlovský Les (Krumlovian Forest) region which is well known as a source of the local chert (Neruda 2009a). This hilly area is situated 40 km southwest of Brno, with its axis running SSW-NNE (fig.1). Most Palaeolithic sites are concentrated on the eastern slopes and they are separated by a series of valleys and distinct ridges facing south-southeast. Quaternary sediments more than 10 m thick are deposited on one of the eastern ribs in the Krumlovian Forest near the prehistoric mining area VI (Oliva / Neruda / Přichystal 1999). The Palaeolithic site of Moravský Krumlov IV was dis covered on the edge of a deep Late Pleistocene valley (315-325 m a.s.l.). The first finds which can be linked to the site were recovered in 1999 by M. Oliva on the northern side of the track; they made an interesting assortment of five precores and two flakes (Neruda / Nerudová / Oliva 2004). A partial defore station of the surrounding area in 2000 resulted in the local erosion of surface sediments and the exposition of patinated artefacts. Excavations were carried out in several sectors in the years 2000-2004 (fig. 1C). Three archaeological layers (1, 2 and 3) were identified in the sector IV-1. Sector IV-2 offered several patinated artefacts mainly redeposited due to a sunk Hallstatt settlement event. Sector IV-3 touched the edge of sector IV-1. The richest concentration of archaeological layer 0 (the Szeletian) and the underlying layers 1 and 2 with Middle Palaeolithic industries were identified here. Sector IV-4 is situated to the east of the sectors mentioned above (the location of the finds from 1999). Other probes in sectors IV-5, IV-6 and IV-7 were supposed to help determining the extent of the archaeological layers. STRATIGRAPHY The stratigraphic situation at Moravský Krumlov IV was affected by many variables. Due to favourable conditions for a sediment accumulation (Roštínský 2009), loess deposits concentrated at the site, reaching a thickness of up to 10 m in sector IV-3. At least three complexes of ancient soils and soil sediments were formed from this parent material. Analyses of profiles, geomorphology and soil micromorphological analysis made by L. Smolíková in 2004 (Smolíková 2009) showed that all layers (samples MK-0, MK-5 and MK-8) consist of redeposited sediments and therefore cannot be used for chronostratigraphic correlations. The negative impact of recent human activities on the preservation of the Quaternary sediments was documented too (Neruda 2009b). Considering the situation, it is not to be expected that the original extent of the site can be determined.