DIVJE BABE I. Upper Pleistocene Palaeolithic site in Slovenia
Part I: Geology and Palaeontology

6. ESR Dating at Divje babe I, Slovenia

Bonnie A. B. BLACKWELL, Edwin S. K. YU, Anne R. SKINNER, Ivan TURK, Joel I. B. BLICKSTEIN, Janez TURK, Vicky S. W. YIN and Beverly LAU

Abstract

At Divje babe I, Slovenia's oldest archaeological site, the thick archaeological sequence housed Mousterian artefacts, including hearths, a perforated ursid femur interpreted as a flute, Mousterian and Aurignacian bone tools, and ~ 200,000 cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) skeletal remains (NISP), besides other faunal remains. Eleven archaeologically significant layers were dated by 44 independent standard ESR (electron spin resonance) analyses from 28 teeth. To calculate volumetrically averaged external dose rates, 146 sedimentary component samples were analyzed by NAA. Numerous sedimentary characteristics indicate that Divje babe I experienced strong climatic fluctuations during the Late Pleistocene, during four distinct interstadials and five stadials in OIS 3-4, and prolonged warm interglacial conditions in OIS 5, during which hominids visited the cave intermittently discarding Mousterian artefacts. From Layers 2 to 23, the ESR dates suggest that at least three, and probably four, periods of rapid sedimentation alternate with depositional hiati. Continuous sedimentation at 0.02 cm/y from approximately 116 ka to 102 ka during Oxygen Isotope Stage (OIS) 5d deposited Layer 23 through the lower Layer 17a2 under warm, dry to moderately humid conditions. During OIS 5b-5c, sedimentation slowed dramatically or ceased until about 85 ka. In early OIS 5a, Dansgaard-Öschger Event 21 (DÖ 21), from approximately 85 ka until 80 ka, sedimentation averages 0.036 cm/y, depositing upper Layer 17a2 through Layer 13 under warm, but dry to moderately dry conditions. The next hiatus spanned the first cold phase in OIS 4 from 80 ka until ~ 70 ka. Deposition at approximately 0.012 cm/y resumed with Layers 10-12 through 8a, from about 70 to 55 ka, during the latter part of OIS 4, under cool to cold, humid conditions. The flute was produced and abandoned at ~ 60 ka. Sedimentation slowed again or stopped from about 55 until 50 ka, during early OIS 3. From about 50 to 38-40 ka during Mörshoofd-Glinde and Hengelo Interstadials, DÖ 14-10 in OIS 3, rapid sedimentation resumed at about 0.04 cm/y, depositing Layers 7 to 2 under conditions that varied widely from very cold to moderately warm, but from dry to moderately humid. The Pleistocene stratigraphic sequence ends with Layer 2, which contains an Early Aurignacian split-based point in sediment suggesting interstadial conditions. During OIS 2, deep cryoturbation disturbs Layers 2-5a. In the Early Holocene, after a 28-30 ky hiatus, modest sedimentation resumed.

ESR dates at Divje babe I, Slovenia. From the 26 teeth dated here by ESR, the ages are extremely internally consistent, despite the somewhat larger than normal uncertainties (denoted by the span between the arrows). The four bones successfully dated by 14C hint that 14C ages in the range from 40-50 ka may require a calibration of +2 to +5 ky to bring them into line with calendric ages, like ESR. The ESR dates show the cave filled with sediment episodically. A major depositional slowdown or hiatus occurred within Layer 17a2 between about 6.15 and 6.7 m below datum from approximately 105 to 85 ka. Another slowdown or hiatus occurred between Layers 12 and 13 lasting from ~ 78 to 70 ka. Another slowdown occurs from ~ 55 to 50 ka.

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2007, (Opera Instituti Archaeologici Sloveniae, 13), 480pp, 10 colour photoogaphs, 178 b-w drawings, photoogaphs and maps, 89 tabels and 38 annexes; 20 x 29 cm, hardcover, ISBN 978-961-254-019-7.

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