Kamajka

Kamajka is a small yet scientifically remarkable hill located about two kilometers northwest of Chotusice, in the Kutná Hora district of the Central Bohemian Region in the Czech Republic. Rising to 231 meters above sea level, it has been protected as a nature monument since 1933, making it one of the longer-standing protected natural sites in the area.

What makes this hill worth protecting?

Kamajka's significance has little to do with scenery and everything to do with what lies beneath its surface. The site consists of a system of several abandoned quarries, now heavily overgrown and practically inaccessible, where Upper Cretaceous sediments from an ancient shore zone are exposed atop the gneisses of the Kutná Hora crystalline basement. These layers are the reason geologists and paleontologists have studied the location for decades.

What fossils have been found here?

The former quarry has yielded numerous fossils of marine organisms dating from the Upper Cretaceous period, including mussels, snails, crustaceans, and marine sponges. A particular rarity is the collection of ostracod fossils — more than one hundred species have been described from this single site, and some, such as Kamajcythereis kamajcensis, are endemic, meaning they have never been found anywhere else in the world. This uniqueness places Kamajka among the region's most significant geological localities.

What did this place look like millions of years ago?

The presence of marine fauna fossils shows that, during the Upper Cretaceous, the area now occupied by Kamajka lay within a shallow sea, with the hill itself functioning as a small island at the time. The layers of sediment preserved in the rock allow scientists to reconstruct conditions in this ancient coastal environment, from the nature of the seabed to the composition of the fauna that once lived there.

What can visitors see today?

The area of the former workings is now heavily overgrown, which limits opportunities to directly observe the exposed rock layers. Even so, Kamajka remains a point of interest for those following geological and nature trails around Kutná Hora, and it is regularly listed among the local nature monuments and destinations worth knowing about in the region.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kamajka? Kamajka is a 231-meter hill near Chotusice, protected as a nature monument because of its fossil deposits of Upper Cretaceous marine animals.

Since when has Kamajka been protected? The site has been protected as a state nature reserve since 1933, making it one of the region's long-standing protected natural areas.

What fossils can be found at Kamajka? Mainly mussels, snails, crustaceans, and marine sponges, along with more than a hundred described species of ostracods, including endemic species found nowhere else.

Where exactly is Kamajka located? About two kilometers northwest of the village of Chotusice, in the Kutná Hora district of the Central Bohemian Region in the Czech Republic.

Is the site of the former quarries open to visitors? The area is now heavily overgrown and the old workings are practically inaccessible, which is worth keeping in mind when planning a visit to the region.