GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS OF THE NORTHERN ESCARPMENT OF THE LVIV PLATEAU WITHIN THE BORDERS OF LVIV

Abstract

To reduce the dependence of tourist flows on the closure of administrative or state borders, it is required to develop the touristand recreational products meeting the needs of local (within the city, region or country) users. There are several informative tourist, recreational, and geo-educational routes within the territory of Lviv and its nearest surroundings, the most popular of which is the route running through the Vysokyi Zamok, Leva Mountain, Kaiserwald, to the Devil’s Rocks. In recent years, its natural (geological, geomorphological) features have been analyzed. Sections of bedrock and Quaternary sediments that occur along the route can perform educational, cognitive, environmental and aesthetic functions. The inanimate objects along the route are well accessible for exploration. The anthropogenic impact on these sites is significant, as they are actively used for hiking, mountaineering, etc. Therefore, there is a need for constant monitoring of the condition of these facilities, landscaping. However, the full potential of this route remains largely unexplored; in particular, the most ancient (pre-Slavic) stages of settlement and management of this area of Lviv are poorly covered. Some of geo-archaeological monuments are unique,in particular the Late Palaeolithic site near the Devil’s Rock’s. Osteological remains belonging to mammoths, woolly rhinos, ancient horses, deer and other animals were found there.On the bones you there is a engraving in the form of solar signs. Among the artefacts there arenucleuses, knives, scrapers, incisors and other. On the slopes of The High Castle was found a large number of products of different archaeological periods,from which materials represented by Eneolithic cultures are quite early.Also many finds are associated with the Princely Period. A defensive settlement was recorded in park,which called Shevchenkivskyi Hai(Kaiserwald),and in the area of Svyatovyte Pole there is a fortified hillfort,where the materials of the Lypytska culture were found. Geoarchaeological landmarks discovered on the northern escarpment of the Lviv plateau significantly expand the geo-educational function of the tourist, recreational, nature discovery route Vysokyi Zamok – Devil’s Rocks, which is popular among the citizens of Lviv. They are interesting both for an ordinary tourist, who likes walking around the green area of the city, and for schoolchildren, students, scientists, who study the nature and history of their native land, and who care about the problems of its conservation and protection. Key words: Lviv Plateau; Lesser Polissia; natural monument; geoarchaeological landmarks; paleolithic; eneolithic.