Potok Cave

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 1675 m in the Triassic limestone. long and varies from 17 m wide at the mouth to 40 m 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 1928 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.

Gallery

File:Srečko Brodar 1962.jpg|Srečko Brodar File:Inside the Potok Cave - Potočka zijalka (Slovenia).JPG|Inside Potok Cave File:Inside Potocka zijalka.jpg|Inside Potok Cave

References

References

1. Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. 2014. ''World Clothing and Fashion: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Social Influence.'' New York: Routledge, p. 207.
2. [http://archaeology-travel.com/photo-album/views-from-ancient-doorways/ Dowson, Thomas. 2013. "Views from Ancient Doorways," ''Archaeology Travel''.]
3. Bezlaj, France. 1961. ''Slovenska vodna imena'', vol. 2. Ljubljana: SAZU, p. 337.
4. "Potočka zijavka". Palaeolithic Research Centre.
5. Mišič, Franc. 1938. "O ledinskih in hišnih imenih okoli Solčave." ''Časopis za zgodovino in narodopisje'' 33(3/4): 191–201, p. 195.
6. [http://mailman.ijs.si/pipermail/slovlit/2009/003196.html SlovLit: Potočka zijalka] {{in lang. sl
7. Bezlaj, France et al. 2005. ''Etimološki slovar slovenskega jezika'' vol. 4. Ljubljana: SAZU, p. 411.
8. "Potočka zijalka".
9. It is {{convert. 115. m
10. Brodar, Srečko, & Mitja Brodar. 1983. ''Potočka zijalka, visokoalpska postaja aurignacienskih lovcev''. Ljubljana: SAZU, p. 12.
11. "Potočka zijalka".
12. Omerzel-Terlep, Mira. "Koščene piščali: pričetek slovenske, evropske in svetovne instrumentalne glasbene zgodovine". Etnolog.
13. Knez, Renato. "Stalna razstava Potočka zijalka".
14. [http://www.dlib.si/v2/StreamFile.aspx?URN=URN:NBN:SI:DOC-PPXFQB68&id=01634bfd-c6a4-4cb3-a7cc-0628b12d9bed&type=PDF Brodar, Mitja. 2009. ''Stara kamena doba v Sloveniji = Altsteinzeit in Slowenien''. Ljubljana, samozalozba.] p. 278.