The extraction of chert in Krumlov Forest in south Moravia during the period of the Funnel Beaker culture

Abstract

New excavations in Krumlov Forest (the “Krumlovský les”) are gradually filling in the gaps between the main phases of local mining of raw material for chipped industry. Data is being discovered from the Baden, Jevišovice and, most recently, the Funnel Beaker cultures. The middle part of a thick and large pile on the slope in the eastern part of the second district belongs to the end of the Mesolithic, while its western part was formed from the period of the Funnel Beaker culture up to the period of the Baden culture. Sediment was composed of loam with a varied share of sand and granodiorite detritus. The intact bottom of the pile was identified at a depth of 380 cm. An antler pick from a depth of 260 cm was dated to the Funnel Beaker culture and industry from its surrounding area and layer was classified. Another Funnel Beaker culture date was obtained from an antler digging tool found in sandy sediment at a depth of 340 cm at the edge of the plateau above the slope. The mined seam was found 60 cm deeper, and this seam was connected to an adit whose course was not traced further. Although the chipped industry is not highly representative from a technological perspective, it nevertheless demonstrates that only testing and initial working of the extracted pieces of chert were performed at the site, and all of the more successfully prepared cores were taken away for further reduction elsewhere. This activity is related in this regard to the preceding Late Lengyel extraction. However, extraction declined after that earlier period and did not increase again until the Bell Beaker culture, at which point nearly all of the extracted raw material remained and was worked at the site; no product distribution is known.