On the edge of eastern and western culture zones in the early Late Pleistocene. Święte 9 – A new epigravettian site in the south-east of Poland

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the newly discovered Epigravettian site situated in the San river valley in the Carpathian foreland close to the Przemyśl Gate – sub- and cross-mountain route. The site lies at the edge of that culture's post-LGM re-settlement of that area. It is a unique remnant documenting the presence of an Epigravettian Culture community in areas at the very same time occupied by Magdalenian Culture people. The geological multiproxy record allows for the reconstruction of a loess plateau with an open landscape, with marked presence of trees, plus a short episode of more favourable climatic conditions following shortly after Heinrich event 1. At that time, a group of Epigravettian hunters established a short term camp close to the edge of the loess terrace on the left San River bank.