Palaeolithic settlement in Bisnik Cave as derivedfrom anthropogenic biomarkers

Abstract

Caves formed a crucial shelters for people of Palaeolithic times. Among many archaeological cave sites known from Poland, the Biśnik Cave is one of the best recognized, with 18 cultural horizons of Middle Palaeolithic. The paper's aim was to check if geochemical traces of Neanderthal people have survived in the cave sediments. The samples of late Middle and early Late Pleistocene layers were analyzed by GC-MS method. The results allow to state the presence of two zoosterols (coprostanol and cholesterol) in sediments and to establish the participation of each sterol in particular layers. The ratio of sterol contents indicates the important impact of human faeces on the sedimentation of final Saalian, Eemian and early Weichselian sediments, but shows no clear evidence of human activity in older layers (middle Saalian). Achieved geochemical data stay in accordancc with settlement intensity reconstructed on the basis of archaeological rccord