Middle Pleistocene stratigraphy of the deposits in Za HájovnouCave

Za Hajovnou Cave (Javořicko Karst, northen Moravia, Czech Republic) is a unique Middle Pleistocene locality. Paleontological material comes from different types of sediments in superposition of fluvial deposits of the sinkhole which was active until the maximum of the Cromerian Interglacial I, MIS 19 (B/M palaeomagnetic boundary, 781 ka). Stratigraphic interpretation was based mainly on 230Th/U dating, sedimentology, study of mammal assemblages and palynology. Sediments were divided into 5 groups of layers on the basis of lithological content and character of bone preservation. The 2nd group of layers was the most important for the stratigraphy of the Middle Pleistocene deposits. Three warm stages were documented by the study of sediments and their palaeontological content. We presuppose two stratigraphical alternatives. Alternative A: warm stage III corresponds most probably to MIS 9a, warm stage II could correspond to MIS 9c, warm stage I corresponds to MIS 11. Alternative B: warm stage III corresponds most probably to MIS 9a, warm stage II could correspond to MIS 9c, warm stage I corresponds to MIS 9e. We consider all three warm stages in Za Hajovnou Cave as belonging to Holsteinian sensu lato.