ARCHAEOFAUNA OR PALAEONTOLOGICAL RECORD ? REMARKS ON PLEISTOCENE FAUNA FROM SILESIA

The paper concerns the problem of faunal remains at Palaeolithic sites from Silesia. The authors tried to answer the question whether the bones are an effect of human activity (archaeofauna) or belong to natural deposits (palaeontological records). The detailed analysis using geological and taphonomic methods lead to the conclusion that within the sites one cannot distinguish the assemblage which consists of only archaeofauna. Contrary, some of the sites contain the archaeofauna as well as natural deposited animal remains. The archaeofauna is mainly represented by remains of hunted game and collected bones whereas processing bones occur rarely. The geofauna was accumulated as a result of slope and alluvial processes and carnivore activity.