| Čertova pec | |
| Native Name: | Čertova pec |
| Alternate Name: | Devil's furnace |
| Map Type: | Slovakia |
| Map Alt: | Čertova pec in Slovakia |
| Map Size: | 240 px |
| Relief: | yes |
| Coordinates: | 48.5603°N 17.9153°W |
| Location: | near Radošina, Považský Inovec mountains |
| Region: | Nitra Region, Slovakia |
| Epochs: | Palaeolithic |
Čertova pec (en|Devil's furnace) is a small karst cave in the Považský Inovec mountains of Slovakia. It is located near Radošina, in the Nitra Region. As well as being a modern recreational site, the cave is known to have yielded material evidence of repeated human presence and habitation during the Stone Age.
The cave with total length of 27m (89feet),[1] is a protected natural monument due to its paleontological significance.[1] The surrounding area of Certova pec is also a recreational site which includes a motel, a campsite, and a playground.[1] There are three hiking trails in the vicinity.[2]
The site has yielded relics of multiple habitation phases during the Palaeolithic period.[1] The earliest finds are attributed to the Mousterian culture (associated primarily with Neanderthals).[3] In addition to this is an assemblage of objects tentatively associated with the Szeletian culture, a local designation that roughly corresponds with the contemporary Gravettian culture.[4] A radiocarbon date of Szeletian cultural artifacts suggests prehistoric human presence in the cave at around 38,400 years ago.[4]