The composition of heavy-mineral assemblages is one of the main textural features of sediments because they can have significant value for the interpretation of, among others, their depositional environment, their depositional processes, and their stratigraphic position. Distinctive features of heavy minerals include their resistance to chemical weathering and mechanical abrasion, their habit, and their density. These parameters are the most widely used in the heavy-mineral research of Quaternary deposits in Poland, as well as in such research in other countries conducted by Polish scientists. Several other heavy-mineral parameters can also be used in various types of interpretation. It is discussed whether heavy-mineral analysis is decisive in the evaluation of deposits or whether it plays mainly a role that may support evidence obtained by other types of analysis. The attention is mainly devoted to transparent heavy minerals; the significance of opaque heavy minerals for interpretational purposes is only mentioned.
arski, M., Win ter, H., Nadachowski, A., Urbanowski, M., Socha, P., Kenig, K., Marcinkowski, B., Krzemiñska, E., Stefaniak, K., Nowaczewska, W., Marciszak, A., 2017. Stra tig ra phy and palaeoenvironment of Stajna Cave (south ern Po land) with regard to hab i ta tion of the site by Neanderthals. Geo log i cal Quar terly, 61 (2): 350-369, doi: 10.7306/gq.1355The Stajnia Cave is one of the most im por tant ar chae o log i cal sites due to the finds of the first re mains of Neanderthals in Poland, and sev eral tens of thou sands of flint artefacts from the Mid dle Palaeo lithic. Based on geo log i cal, geo chem i cal, palaeobotanical, palaeozoological, ar chae o log i cal and iso tope anal y ses, cou pled with ab so lute age de ter mi na tions (OSL, U-Th and C 14 ), 15 lithostratigraphic lay ers were dis tin guished and palaeoenvironmental con di tions dur ing the sed i men ta tion of these beds were de ter mined. The cave loams ac cu mu lated through weath er ing, ae olian and flu vial pro cesses. Their age may be cor re lated with an in ter val from the Early Gla cial to the Late Pleniglacial of the Visulian (Weichselian) Gla ci ation. Archae o log i cal rel ics re lated to the Neanderthals have been dis cov ered in layer D with an ab so lute age of about 52,000-45,000 years BP and cor re lated with MIS 3 -the Mid dle Plenivistulian (Interplenivistulian). Cli mate os cil la tions in the Vistulian are re flected by the type of the sed i ments and their phys i cal-chem i cal fea tures, al low ing de ter min ing warmer interstadial and colder stadial pe ri ods. Gen er ally, the cli mate was cold, char ac ter is tic of tun dra ar eas with a typ i cal veg e tation and fauna, and with the mean tem per a ture of the warm est month not ex ceed ing 12°C. Based on multi-proxy stud ies it can be con cluded that from layer E1 up wards, the cli mate con di tions be came pro gres sively drier. At that time, the cli mate was cold with con ti nen tal fea tures en hanc ing tun dra dom i na tion. This con clu sion is con firmed by palaeontological in ves ti gations and the re cord of sta ble ox y gen iso topes in the teeth of rein deer. The stud ies have also in di cated sea sonal mi gra tion of rein deer on the tun dra that sur rounded the cave. Prob a bly, short-term slight cli mate warm ings oc curred dur ing the Mid dle Plenivistulian (Interplenivistulian).
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