Also known as Belle Roche, Sprimont
Where: Belgium (50.5° N, 5.6° E: paleocoordinates 50.5° N, 5.5° E)
• coordinate based on nearby landmark
When: Pleistocene (2.6 - 0.0 Ma)
• "the cave appears in cross-section in the upper face of the Quarry called La Belle-Roche". Six levels identfied within the cave deposits, two of which contain faunal remains - 3 "Unsorted silty detrital complex" and 4 "Clay-calcite run-off complex". Four galleries have been found, only Gallery one lacks fauna and archaeology. Dated later than the Brunhes/Matuyama boundary (0.78Ma) and before 0.35Ma (the limit of Uranium/Thorium dating). Thought to be c.0.5Ma on faunal grounds. OIS stage 13 to (perhaps)15.
Environment/lithology: red, silty
•Level 4: "a complex of very thin interbedded layers of calcite, clay and clayey silt as well as a variable succession of laminar calcitic deposits and clayey run-off deposits" Lower layers contain lenses of microfauna, particularly Chiroptera. Higher levels are sterile. Laid down in a very humid period.
Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils
Collection methods: bulk,
• By 1990 400m2 of rock excavated in salvage operations.
Primary reference: J.-M. Cordy, B. Bastin, C. Ek, R. Geeraerts, A. Ozer, Y. Quinif, J. Thorez and M. Ulrix-Closset. 1992. La Belle-Roche (Sprimont, Belgium): the oldest archaeological site in the Benelux. A Report on a field trip. In M. Toussaint (ed.), FIve Million Years, the Human adventure 56:287-301 [A. Behrensmeyer/H. O'Regan/M. Uhen]more details
Purpose of describing collection: archaeological analysis
PaleoDB collection 34127: authorized by Alan Turner, entered by Hannah O'Regan on 20.08.2003
Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)
Taxonomic list
•list includes unidentified fish and frog remains.
unclassified | |
Gnathostomata | |
Osteichthyes indet. bony fish | |
Amphibia | |
Anura indet. frog | |
Mammalia | |
Eliomys sp. Wagner 1840 dormouse
Muscardinus sp. Kaup 1829 dormouse | |
Apodemus sp. Kaup 1829 Eurasian field mouse | |
Cricetus sp., Arvicola cantiana, "Microtus gregalis" = Microtus, "Pitymys gregaloides" = Microtus, Microtus agrestis, Microtus arvalis, "Clethrionomys sp." = Myodes, Dicrostonyx sp., Lemmus cf. lemmus, Allocricetus bursae
Cricetus sp. Leske 1779 mouse
Arvicola cantiana vole
"Microtus gregalis" = Microtus vole
"Pitymys gregaloides" = Microtus vole
Microtus agrestis Linnaeus 1761 field vole
Microtus arvalis Pallas 1779 common vole
"Clethrionomys sp." = Myodes Pallas 1811 vole
Dicrostonyx sp. Gloger 1841 lemming
Lemmus cf. lemmus Linnaeus 1758 Norway lemming
Allocricetus bursae mouse | |
Lepus sp. Linnaeus 1758 hare
Oryctolagus cf. cuniculus Linnaeus 1758 European rabbit | |
Ochotona cf. pusilla pika | |
Crocidura sp. Wagler 1832 white-toothed shrew | |
Talpa sp. Linnaeus 1758 mole | |
Plecotus cf. auritus, Myotis dasycneme, Myotis bechsteini, Myotis nattereri, Myotis cf. mystacinus, Myotis emarginatus
Plecotus cf. auritus Linnaeus 1758 common long-eared bat
Myotis dasycneme Boie 1825 vesper bat
Myotis bechsteini Leisler 1818 vesper bat
Myotis nattereri Kuhl 1818 vesper bat
Myotis cf. mystacinus Leisler 1819 vesper bat
Myotis emarginatus Geoffroy 1806 vesper bat | |
Stephanorhinus etruscus Falconer 1868 rhinoceros | |
Equus mosbachensis horse | |
Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus 1758 European roe deer
Rangifer tarandus Linnaeus 1758 reindeer | |
cf. Bison schoetensacki bison
Hemitragus bonali antelope | |
Panthera gombaszoegensis Kretzoi 1938 cat | |
| |
cf. Lutra sp. Brisson 1762 otter
Mustela cf. palerminea weasel
Mustela cf. praenivalis Kormos 1934 weasel
Mustela cf. putorius Linnaeus 1758 European polecat
Meles meles Linnaeus 1758 European badger | |
Ursus deningeri Reichenau 1904 bear | |
Xenocyon lycaonoides Kretzoi 1938 canine
Canis mosbachensis Soergel 1925 canine
Vulpes cf. praeglacialis Kormos 1932 fox | |
Aves | |
? Strigiformes indet. Wagler 1830 owl |