engleski

From hunter-gatherers to herders at Zemunica: changing cave environment and site use

Zemunica Cave is situated in the karst area of the Middle Dalmatian Hinterlands, around 35 km from Split, Croatia. The cave sequence ranges from the Late Upper Palaeolithic to the Early Bronze Age. Geoarchaeological studies based on sedimentology and soil micromorphology were carried out on sediments from Trench 2 and 3, indicating strong postdepositional processes (reworking and mixing due to erosional processes), and putting into evidence some hiatuses. Different use of the cave by humans was also confirmed. The Upper Palaeolithic levels consist of domestic waste residues. The Mesolithic levels mostly comprise domestic waste deposits, including ash, bone fragments and more or less crushed land snails. In the area of Trench 3b, the sequence of thick layers dominated by colluviated land snails and terra rossa pedorelicts probably indicates cyclical reworking of anthropic snail middens by natural erosional processes. The Neolithic, Copper, and Bronze Age part of the sequence is characterised by continuous evidence of sheep/goat and probably cattle dung accumulations. Articulated phytoliths also occur within the cave sediments, indicating the use of straw litter for these animals.

post/depositional processes; snail middens; pastoralism

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