Gudenus cave

The Gudenus cave (German: Gudenushöhle) is an archaeological site near the city of Krems in north-eastern Austria. It is noted for its fossils and remains of Palaeolithic human settlers.

Gudenus cave
Gudenushöhle
Gudenus cave interior
Location in Austria
Locationnear Lichtenau im Waldviertel
RegionLower Austria
Coordinates48°26′50″N 15°23′45″E
History
PeriodsPaleolithic

Description

The Gudenus cavern is situated 20 km (12 mi) northwest of the city of Krems, in the valley of the Little Krems, not far from Willendorf, in Lower Austria.[1] The site is close to the River Danube.[2] The cave is 22 m (72 ft) long with a width of 2 to 3 m (6.6 to 9.8 ft) and is situated 7.5 m (25 ft) above the level of the stream.[1]

Paleontology

The archaeological deposit has yielded bones of numerous animals, including Woolly mammoth, Woolly rhinoceros, Aurochs, Chamois, Reindeer, and Red deer.[1] Human artifacts include numerous flint implements beginning with the Mousterian (i.e. Neanderthals) of the Middle Paleolithic, although there is no certainty as to the dating.[2] There is also an Upper Palaeolithic, Magdalenian, assemblage including an engraved reindeer bone,[3] and a fragment of a bone flute dated to about 16,000–10,000 BCE.[4]

gollark: ᾳ
gollark: ςερτυθιοπασδφγηξκλζχψωβνμ
gollark: υμλαυτς.
gollark: Ït ïs thë bëst längüägë.
gollark: Dö yöü spëäk Ënglïsh wïth ümläüts?

References
  1. Obermaler, Hugues (1907). "Quaternary Human remains in Central Europe". Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution for the year ending June 30 1906. Smithsonian Institution.
  2. Ciochon, Russell L.; Fleagle, John G. (1993). The Human Evolution Source Book. Prentice Hall. p. 507.
  3. Oliva, Martin (2005). Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Moravia. Moravian Museum. p. 103.
  4. Pilch, John J. (2011). Flights of the Soul. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 95. ISBN 0802865402.

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