2016 excavation of basal layers at Pod Hradem Cave and the finding of shell and amber

The third and final season of excavation on Pod Hradem Cave (Moravian Karst) reached bedrock at a maximum depth of 3.5 metres, although the bedrock in this part of the cave represents a very steeply sloping wall rather than the cave floor. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the basal layers in this part of the cave were deposited during the late Middle Palaeolithic period. The finding of amber and shell in layer 11 represents a curious discovery, but there is a possibility that these objects represent an intrusion from a different archaeological context.