Uranium-series dating of the hominid-bearing travertine deposit at Bilzingsleben, G.D.R. and its stratigraphic significance

Abstract

The hominid- and artifact-bearing travertine deposits from Bilzingsleben in G.D.R. have been dated by the 230Th/234U method at 228,000 (+17,000-12,000) years B.P. Correlation with the marine foraminiferal oxygen isotope record and North-American/European speleothem records indicates that this travertine was deposited during the penultimate intergIacial, that is the Rògen-Warmzeit Interglacial in the local glacial stratigraphic sequence. Related stratigraphic correlations and some archaeological problems are, briefly discussed in view of this new age data.