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Stratigraphische Obersicht des
t s c h e c h o s l o w a k i s c h e n Quartärs Von
FR. PROSEK und V. LOZEK, P r a g
Mit 19 Abbildungen im Text und 3 Tabellen S u m m a r y . The purpose of this study is to give the summary of the Stratigraphy of the Czechoslovak Quaternary based on new investigations. Though our summary concerns only Czechoslovakia, it touches upon the whole problem of the Central European Quaternary in regard to the central position of this region. The largest part of the stratigraphical systems in the Quaternary is founded on the change of cold and warm periods to which certain kinds of sediments and remarkable faunas and floras correspond. The deposits of the northern glaciation reach our region only to a small extent, so that for the division of the Quaternary we must use such sediments, which were formed during the whole period of the Quaternary and which correspond to the oscillations of the climate. First of all there are the river terraces and the loesses which together form the most complete system. The largely developed terraces of the Czech rivers are connected directly with the region of Scandinavian glaciation by the course of Labe and have a similar evolution as the terraces in Thuringia, where SOERGEL made his „polyglacialistic" system. The region of Moravia and Slovakia is joined to the region of the Alps by the river Danube; but the ter races are not as well developed here. Big loess deposits and numerous travertines are of great importance here. This region can be well connected with the system made in Bohemia. In the stratigraphical evolution we use SOERGEL'S division and apply to the classical region of Thuringia. The stratigraphical terms we utilized are correct when assuming that SOERGEL had his Interglacials correctly compared with the region of the Alpine and Scandinavian glaciation. When interpreting the profus, it is necessary to respect, above all, the geological criteria, then the paleontological and only in the third place the archaeological. In establishing the general system we can use only the profils which are nearly complete and verified by numerous criteria agreeing one with another. The most important profiles in Bohemia are in the valley of the river Vltava below Prag, where the terraces of the river are covered by a much larger sheet of loess. The loesses (numbered from above) lie on certain terrace-levels here. Upon the Young Rissian level IIIc 4 loesses are lying. Within the buried soil between the 3 and 4th loess, an important intetglacial fauna, with the leading element Helicigona banatica (RSSM.), was found. This layer corresponding to the last genuine Interglacial, is overlain by 3 loesses, separated by one big buried soil (Göttweiger Verlehmung) and by one thin loamification (Paudorfer Verlehmung). The Interglacial layer is underlain by 5 more loesses. In the buried soil between the 6 and the 7 loess there is another Interglacial corresponding to M/R. This division is also verified by the river Labe, where Corbicula fluminalis (MÜLL.) from the penultimate Interglacial was found in the terrace at Cilec. The loess region of West Slovakia also is of great importance. The fauna with Helicigona banatica (RossM.) has been found there in a similar layer as in Bohemia, and the Würm complex contains rich archaeological and paleontological finds. d
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Between the other sediments, the travertines are rather important, especially at the mineral wells in the Carpathian Mountains. Most probably they come from all big Interglacials. The oldest are evidently Young Pliocene, the youngest are still in formation. At Spis the traver tines from the last Interglacial contain a mousteroid industry, together with rich paleontological finds. The sediments of the Younger Würm and the Holocene are best preserved in the deposits of caverns. The older sediments were mostly destroyed, probably by periglacial activity. This was strongest during the Middle Pleistocene. The clearing away and the cryoturbation took place for the last time at the beginning of the Young Würm so that the sediments of the Old Würm and the last Interglacial are comparatively rare. Several closed Karst caverns gave the rich finds of the Old Pleistocene fauna of Biharian (Cromerian) type, corresponding to G/M and M. Here also we can trace a long row of oscillations verifying the „polyglacialistic" division even in the Old Pleistocene. The next important sediments are the slope deposits (of the Holo cene) and the fresh water deposits (fresh water chalk, gyttja), known to have existed in the warm period of Pleistocene and mainly in the Late Glacial and Holocene. The present state of the stratigraphical division of Czechoslovak Quaternary is summarized in tables made independently for Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia. In these regions it is neces sary, first of all, to establish the local stratigraphical systems, to connect them and insert them