Čertova pec (English: Devil's furnace) is a small karst cave in the Považský Inovec mountains of Slovakia. It is located near Radošina, in the Nitra Region. As well as being a modern recreational site, the cave is known to have yielded material evidence of repeated human presence and habitation during the Stone Age.
Overview
The cave with total length of 27 m (89 ft),[1] is a protected natural monument due to its paleontological significance.[1] The surrounding area of Certova pec is also a recreational site which includes a motel, a campsite, and a playground.[1] There are three hiking trails in the vicinity.[2]
Paleontology
The site has yielded relics of multiple habitation phases during the Palaeolithic period.[1] The earliest finds are attributed to the Mousterian culture (associated primarily with Neanderthals).[3] In addition to this is an assemblage of objects tentatively associated with the Szeletian culture, a local designation that roughly corresponds with the contemporary Gravettian culture.[4] A radiocarbon date of Szeletian cultural artifacts suggests prehistoric human presence in the cave at around 38,400 years ago.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d Pšenková, Vlasta (1994). Pozoruhodnosti Slovenska. Kubko-Goral. p. 18.
- ^ Mallows, Lucy (2007). Slovakia. p. 139. ISBN 978-1841621883.
- ^ Strhan, Milan; Daniel, David P. (1994). Slovakia and the Slovaks: A Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopedical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. p. 492.
- ^ a b Adams, B. (2009). "Bukk Mountain Szeletian". In Camps, Marta; Chauhan, Parth (eds.). Sourcebook of Paleolithic Transitions: Methods, Theories, and Interpretations. Springer. p. 432. ISBN 978-0387764870.
External links
- Devil's Furnace Cave, Topoľčany Cluster project
