Potok CaveSnodgrass, Mary Ellen. 2014. World Clothing and Fashion: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Social Influence. New York: Routledge, p. 207.Dowson, Thomas. 2013. "Views from Ancient Doorways," Archaeology Travel. ( or Potočka zijavkaBezlaj, France. 1961. Slovenska vodna imena, vol. 2. Ljubljana: SAZU, p. 337.) is a cave in northern Slovenia, declared a high-elevation archaeological and paleontological site, occupied approximately 35,000 years BP (before present) by anatomically modern humans of the Aurignacian culture during the Upper Paleolithic. The cave is named after the Potok Farm in Podolševa.Mišič, Franc. 1938. "O ledinskih in hišnih imenih okoli Solčave." Časopis za zgodovino in narodopisje 33(3/4): 191–201, p. 195.SlovLit: Potočka zijalka The Slovene term zijalka or zijavka refers to a flat-bottomed cave with a gaping mouth on a cliff face.Bezlaj, France et al. 2005. Etimološki slovar slovenskega jezika vol. 4. Ljubljana: SAZU, p. 411. Systematic excavations were carried out from 1928 through 1935 by Slovenian archaeologist Srečko Brodar.
Location The cave is located in the eastern Karawanks in northern Slovenia, on the southern slope of Mount Olševa above Solčava, at an elevation of in the Triassic limestone. It is Broda, Mitja. 1995. "Potočka zijalka." Enciklopedija Slovenije, vol. 9, Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, pp. 193–194. long and varies from wide at the mouth to wide in the interior. Its entry opens toward the south.
Role There are two explanations of its role. According to the original explanation, the cave was a hunting station. According to the newer one, it was a ritual place.
Excavations After amateur excavations by Josef Gross, a medical student from Austria, the area was bought by the Museum Society of Celje. Systematic excavations were carried out on its behalf by archaeologist Srečko Brodar, starting in 1928Brodar, Srečko, & Mitja Brodar. 1983. Potočka zijalka, visokoalpska postaja aurignacienskih lovcev. Ljubljana: SAZU, p. 12. and continuing until 1935.
The finds from eight layers excavated from the cave included the bones of more than 40 animal species, including cave bears, wolves, alpine marmots, hares, red foxes, weasels, lynx, red deer, and chamois, and muskox teeth, as well as 123 arrowheads, one of the world's oldest sewing needles, and a bone flute made from a bear mandible.
Exhibits In a village near the cave, a permanent exhibit is open for tourists at the Firšt Inn and Museum in the Logar Valley. The other finds can be seen at the Celje Regional Museum. Unfortunately much of the collection was destroyed during World War II in 1945 Allied bombing raids.Brodar, Mitja. 2009. Stara kamena doba v Sloveniji = Altsteinzeit in Slowenien. Ljubljana, samozalozba. p. 278.
Gallery
See also Nevlje
References
External links