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

3. Pleistocene sediments on Šebrelje plateau above the site of Divje babe I

Ivan TURK and Janez TURK

Abstract

On the plateau above the cave, we roughly investigated a 700 m long pedological profile to a depth of 0.8 m below the surface. We found two clayey layers, which were broken in places by the remains of fossil soils and cryoclastic rubble and blocks. On the bedrock of dolostone with the remnants of buried karst lies red unlayered clay with individual strongly weathered and rounded dolomite clasts. Above it is a layer of angular dolomite fragments and the remains of palaeosoil. Still higher is a layer of brown, unlayered clay, which lies for the most part conformably on a layer of red clay. Right at the top is a layer of humus. We investigated both clay layers geochemically.

There are no clay sediments directly above the cave but they are again on the slopes below the cave. The cave sediments contain practically no clay, but are partly enriched with the main chemical elements characteristic for both clay layers on the plateau above the cave.

Šebrelje plateau in the foreground, viewed from the south. The church of. St. Ivan Krstnik (St. John the Babtist) is on the extreme right. Further to the right is the valley of the Sevnica, and behind the plateau is the deeply cut valley of the Idrijca river. In the background, from left to right, Šentviška gora plateau, the villages of Police and Bukovo and mountain of Kojca (1303 m), separated from Šebrelje plateau by the Idrijca valley. On the horizon are Julian Alps and their highest mountain, Triglav (2864 m) Photograph Stane Klemenc, Dia studio, Ljubljana.

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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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