The Sićevo Gorge (
Serbian: Sićevačka klisura;
Serbian Cyrillic: Сићевачка клисура, pronounced[sîtɕɛʋatʃkaːklǐsura]), a river gorge and archaeological site in southeastern Serbia, is the locally most prominent geological and topographic feature formed by the
Nišava River. The gorge is located between the towns of
Bela Palanka and
Niška Banja. It is 17 km (11 mi) long and 350 to 400 m (1,150 to 1,310 ft) deep, in some parts developing canyon-like structures (including the inverse valley slopes at the Gradiški kanjon). The gorge is cut into the Kunovica plateau, between the southern slopes of the
Svrljig Mountains and the mountain of
Suva Planina. The surrounding areas are known for their high-quality vineyards. The gorge contains a stone quarry, the Ostrovica and six villages. The largest,
Sićevo is the
eponym of the gorge.
Archaeological findings
In June 2008, a
lower jaw fragment was excavated in the
Mala Balanica cave, one of several cave sites in the gorge.[1] This
hominin jaw bone
fossil was dated to be between 397,000 and 525,000 years old on the basis of
electron spin resonance in combination with
uranium seriesisotopic analysis and infrared/post-infrared
luminescence dating.[2] The morphology of the
mandible differs significantly from the more recent Homo heidelbergensis and completely lacks any prominent Homo neanderthalensis features. The jaw represents one of an increasing number of specimen discoveries in the south-eastern part of the European continent. It demonstrates
plesiomorphicerectus-like traits that are coupled with
synapomorphic traits common to
Chibanian hominins.[3] It was recently suggested that the fossil specimen could belong to the newly described species Homo bodoensis.[4]
References
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