Was it a funeral sacrifice of mammoth proportions, the vicious slaughter of a merchant caravan or a massive explosion of flour dust during a
harvest ceremony? More than a century after it was first excavated, archaeologists are still wondering what happened in Bull Rock (Byci skala) cave in
the Blansko area of south Moravia 2,600 years ago. Bones and jewelry dating back 2,600 years, discovered in the cave in 1872, have mystified
scientists ever since
NOTE: Still having issues with this computer and ATS Uploads. To see the skull which has a VERY detailed metal/gold head dress on it-please go to the
source article. Take a look at that puppy and tell me what you think!
In 1872, Czech archaeologist Jindrich Wankel unearthed 40 dismembered skeletons in the anteroom of the cave. On a stone altar was a pair of
women's arms hacked off at the elbow, and a skull cleaved neatly down the middle. Deeper in the cave was a magnificent chariot with the charred
remains of a man still inside. Strewn among the bodies were hundreds of bronze and amber ornaments of exotic design and, deeper in the cave, stood an
Iron Age forge.
Wankel assumed he'd found the relics of the funeral of a chieftain from the Hallstatt (Early Iron Age) era, complete with
virgin sacrifices. For more than 100 years, archaeologists took his conclusions at face value. Then, in the 1970s, they took another look at the
artifacts and received quite a shock.
Wankel's "funeral chariot" was actually different parts of three completely unrelated vehicles. The
skeletons were not from young females - virgin or otherwise - but from men and women ranging in age from 30 to 45. Moreover, there was no proof the
victims had died violently.
The article goes on to discuss three main theories as to what happened in the cave at that time. All three are interesting and plausable. But, that
is why I bring it to ATS for review.
What do you think happened here? What else can you add to the story/mystery. I don't know enough about the Bronze Age but I think once you see the
pics of the jewelry found..... these folks were masters of it. Maybe past mastering it.... Out of this world maybe.....?
As you read-if you read the whole article, the NAZI's didn't have any issues/problems with using the cave for their war efforts. I wonder what they
found and carted away that we'll never know about-most likely.
Here is a little video I found about the BULL CAVE:
Info From Wikipedia:
Býčí skála Cave (in Czech Býčí skála, in English The Bull Rock Cave) is part of the second longest cave system in the Czech Republic. It
is also famous for archaeological findings. The cave is located in the central part of Moravian Karst, in Josefovské Valley (Josefovské údolí)
between the town Adamov and village Křtiny. Together with the cave system Rudické propadání Býčí skála forms the second longest cave system in
the country after the Amatérská Cave. Its known length is over 13 km.
The entrance to the cave was always known. First written mention comes
from 1669. During 1867-1873 the part named Předsíně was explored by archaeologist Jindřich Wankel who discovered a Paleolithic settlement from
around 100,000 - 10,000 BCE. Later, a statuette of a bronze bull was found and starting in 1872 a large Hallstatt culture site had been excavated. The
site contained animal and material offerings, crops, textiles, ceramic and sheet-metal vessels, jewellery, glass and amber beads.
Agreed, this is something we can hold in our hands, something real.
And it has been there for a long time.
It makes you wonder, if we dug down 500 feet or so at any place what we may find.
An old dead civilization with technology would be a neat find.
I find it odd that the headress fits the skull so tightly since there should be some looseness to it
no that the flesh has rotted away,,like there is in the ring with a gap between it and the finger bone
This old site reminds me of the great death pit of Ur
Mesanepada was the king of Ur in about 2675 BCE who founded the 1st Dynasty of Ur and made Ur the capital of Sumer. His grave site was the famous
death pit PG1237 where over 73 bodies are buried along with their king.
The man that originally found this cave in my opinion would have had a better idea of what has happened then someone reviewing his data a hundred
years later. I did not go to the pictures but am assuming they are just pictures of the artifacts and not the site as originally found.
The fact the new team says the bones are mixed and show no signs of violence is in complete contradiction to the original find, a half a skull, two
arms hacked off at the elbows on an alter. I would go with the original eyes on scene for the truest assessment. Its like you tell a friend a story
and have him pass it on and so on eventually the story gets back to you totally different from what you said.
I would go with the original eyes on scene for the truest assessment. Its like you tell a friend a story and have him pass it on and so on eventually
the story gets back to you totally different from what you said.
Excellent point my good man.
I can only say that the biggest problem would be the communicating between the times. One man's junk is another mans treasure.
Of all the history we do know I would say only amounts to less than .01% of what did happen and we are most likely wrong on most of that. We have a
hard enough time knowing what happened last week much less countless years ago. The farther back you go the less we know and the higher the error
factor goes. All we can do is take what we can find and make our best guess. I often wonder just how much of what we do today will be known in a
thousand years or even 10,000 years. Will archaeologists of the future even know what a cell phone is if they find the remains of one or any common
item of today for that matter. History has a bad habit of disappearing.
The original burying place of the skeletons has to be close. This has to be found to go much further.
The fact that there was an iron forge, means the possibility of a fire and/or asphyxiation with the higher heat and oxygen requirements to melt iron
vs bronze, which was just being replaced with the iron weapons and tools at the time. Perhaps they had very little experience with an iron forge.
It is also possible that predators got into the cave after the accident, and that is why the bodies were all torn up and scattered. Can they tell if
the forge was being used at the time? Like the presence of partially melted metals or tools in the forge as they would be when it was operating?
Obviously, the venting or lack thereof for the forge would be something that has been studied. Cool Find OP, S&F for ya, and now looking for other
posts on this interesting subject.
Originally posted by anon72
No ATSers who are knowledgable about this topic area?
I find that hard to believe that there isn't one who would have some 1st hand info/experience with this place.
I visited Moravian karst few times but never was in Byci skala cave. It is also first time I heard about this mysterious archeological findings - I
thought till now that I'm aware of main archeological sights in my country.
Now I'll read more about it. If I'll find something interesting, I'll translate it for fellow ATSers.
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