|
|
|
SET OF 5 CAVE BEAR (URSUS SPELAEUS) CLAWS FROM THE FAMOUS DRAGONS CAVE IN AUSTRIA Drachenhohle - Mixnitz, Austria PLEISTOCENE PERIOD: 200,000 - 20,000 years ago This is a set of five genuine fossil claws from the extinct giant Cave Bear, Ursus spelaeus of Europe. They came from a very old collection originally found in the world famous Dragons Cave (Drachenhohle) in Austria now a closed and protected international prehistoric site. The cave is famous for its deposits of what are believed to be nearly 30,000 cave bear skeletal remains! The earliest evidence of human prehistoric occupation in Austria is also found in the cave where stone tools and hearths have been dated from 67,000 to 33,000 years ago. The cave got its name around the turn of the last century when locals dug the cave floor for a resource of fertilizer from the large build-up of bat dung over the centuries. In the course of digging, many cave bear bones were discovered but since the cave bear was extinct and not known about at the time, villagers believed the bones to be from dragons, hence the name. The site is an enormous cave and has been closed and protected to any digging for some time. You cannot even enter the cave without a tour guide today. This collection of cave bear fossils was collected over 60 years ago prior to existing laws. Fossils from this cave are rare and no other cave in the world is known so famously for its cave bear fossil deposits as this site. This set includes 5 cave bear claws in their natural state as collected with no repair or restoration. Each has been treated with a chemical hardener to protect their fragile nature. Perfect to round out a collection of famous beasts of the final Ice Age. These claws can also be used as a focal or accent point in a unique jewelry creation or talisman. Each claw has NO REPAIR AND NO RESTORATION. Recommended for anyone wanting a very impressive and VERY affordable and top quality fossil of this well-known giant of the Pleistocene. From the most famous cave bear fossil site in the world closed to future collecting. Ursus spelaeus was a huge omnivorous bear that resided in caves year-round compared to modern bears which only use caves as a shelter for hibernation. When standing on its hind legs, the height of this beast would have averaged 10 feet tall! Skulls have been found 20 inches in length! The closest relative is our modern day brown bear but the cave bear averages 30% greater in size. One way to differentiate a cave bear skull from a brown bear (and all other bears for that matter) is the sheer size, first off, and also the prominence of the brow and forehead unique to the cave bear. Modern bear skulls have a more gradual sloping forehead. Found throughout caves in Europe, the cave bear was named after the places where its remains are commonly found: caves, in the Alps, the Ardennes, the Carpathian and Ural Mountains, and in many other European mountain chains. Remains found in caves near the North Sea and in The Netherlands show that the range of Ursus spelaeus eventually spread into the lowland forests of western Europe. In this last region, populations drastically declined around 40,000 years ago finally becoming extinct during the last glacial period. It is believed that the cave bears' demise was aided by competition for food and shelter by a simultaneous existence with the brown bear. Evidence found in caves suggests that prehistoric man either worshipped the cave bear or used its remains in religious rituals. Pressure from hunting by man could also have been a contributing factor in their extinction. SET OF CLAWS FROM THE MOST FAMOUS CAVE BEAR FOSSIL SITE IN THE WORLD NOW CLOSED TO MODERN COLLECTING 1.75" - 1" in length on the curve $295 LM40X003 INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual Item - One Only |
|
|
|
295 |
